Description
A bright, refreshing pasta salad that combines tangy citrus dressing with sweet strawberries, juicy cranberries, and a hint of mint. Perfect for warm days.
Ingredients
Scale
- 16 ounces Vesuvio pasta, uncooked
- 12 ounces strawberries, sliced
- ½ cup toasted slivered almonds
- 8 ounces fresh spinach
- 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup orange juice, freshly squeezed
- Zest of ½ orange
- ¼ cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, chopped
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente; drain and rinse under cold water to stop cooking.
- In a large bowl whisk together orange juice, orange zest, lemon juice, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, poppy seeds, and olive oil to make the dressing.
- Stir in the chopped mint and black pepper.
- Add the cooled pasta, sliced strawberries, dried cranberries, toasted almonds, and fresh spinach; toss to combine.
- Fold in the crumbled feta cheese gently.
- Taste and adjust seasoning if needed, then refrigerate for at least 10 minutes before serving.
- Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Notes
Feel free to adjust the dressing sweetness or swap in other fresh fruits such as blueberries or peach slices.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Cold toss
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 28 g
- Sodium: 520 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 62 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg