Spring Spinach Strawberry Pasta Salad (Printable)

Vibrant salad combining tender bow-tie pasta, fresh spinach, strawberries, almonds, and homemade poppy seed dressing for spring entertaining.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 8 oz bow-tie (farfalle) pasta

→ Salad

02 - 3.5 oz baby spinach, washed and dried
03 - 7 oz fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
04 - 1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted
05 - 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)
06 - 2 tablespoons fresh basil, thinly sliced (optional)

→ Poppy Seed Dressing

07 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
08 - 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
09 - 1 tablespoon honey
10 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
11 - 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
12 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
13 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

# Directions:

01 - Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package instructions until al dente. Drain, rinse under cold water, and set aside to cool completely.
02 - In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, poppy seeds, salt, and black pepper until well combined.
03 - In a large salad bowl, combine the cooled pasta, baby spinach, sliced strawberries, and toasted almonds.
04 - Drizzle with poppy seed dressing and toss gently to coat all ingredients evenly.
05 - Top with crumbled feta cheese and fresh basil if using. Serve immediately.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • The dressing whisks together in under a minute and keeps for weeks in the fridge
  • People actually get excited about pasta salad again, plus it travels beautifully to potlucks
02 -
  • Rinse the pasta under cold water immediately after draining, or it will continue cooking and turn mushy
  • Dry the spinach completely with paper towels, or the dressing will slide right off the wet leaves
03 -
  • Hull the strawberries before washing them so they do not become waterlogged inside
  • Make a double batch of the dressing to keep in the fridge for quick salads all week
Return