Spinach Pasta Salad

Published by: July 16, 2022 by Cathy Carmichael · This post may contain affiliate links.

Spinach Pasta Salad The perfect balance of green vegetables, and pasta with an oil-free balsamic dressing. This salad is not only filling, but also tasty and delicious. This is the perfect summer salad ready in less than 30 minutes.

Although I love pasta, I know I need to eat more vegetables than pasta. Therefore, I wanted to make a satisfying salad loaded with vegetables but very little pasta. As a result, I get the best of both worlds! Spinach Pasta Salad, for example, is 90% vegetables and 10% whole grain pasta with an oil-free balsamic dressing. Not only is this spinach pasta salad recipe delicious, it’s filling too!

Materials

Chop tomatoes, pickled onions, zucchini, red cabbage and spinach on a cutting board

When I decided to make this pasta salad, I used different vegetables that I had already prepared during the week. For example, I spiralized zucchini for zoodle pad thai. Other vegetables I’ve used in this spinach pasta salad recipe include:

Organic spinach: I love delicious organic spinach. I always buy organic greens because they are on the dirty dozen list.
Three colored tomatoes: I always use grape tomatoes or other hardy tomatoes for salads, so they have fewer seeds. This prevents the salad from getting soggy.
pickled red onion: Pickled red onions are distinctly tangy, slightly sweet and crunchy at the same time
Broccoli: I prefer to blanch my broccoli instead of eating it raw. And, you can cook it quickly with pasta.
Red Cabbage: Red cabbage, which is purple in color, has beautiful color and a distinct crunch.
Zucchini: Spiralized zucchini gives another texture profile to the pasta salad.

Component replacement

Instead of spinach, try kale or another hardy green. If using kale, I recommend chopping it finely.
Use any colored tomatoes.
If you don’t like broccoli, cauliflower is a great alternative. Pasta can also be cooked to soften it a bit rather than eating it raw.
Use any cabbage. Napa cabbage is much thinner and more delicate than green or red cabbage.

How to make a salad

All the spinach pasta salad ingredients in a bowl on the counter

First add spinach to a large bowl and top with various raw vegetables except broccoli.

Also, I recommend that if using pickled red onions they are drained on paper towels before being added to the pasta salad.

Instead of steaming the broccoli separately, I add the broccoli to the boiling pasta for the last 7 minutes. Not only does this save time, but you also use a pan.

Next, rinse the broccoli and pasta in cold water before adding to the spinach pasta salad.

Additionally, I recommend making an oil-free balsamic dressing for the spinach pasta salad recipe, but don’t put on the dressing until serving.

If you’re looking for a different dressing option, try my vegan ranch dressing or oil-free Italian dressing.

Tossed the salad ingredients in a bowl past the spinach

dressing ingredients

Balsamic dressing poured over spinach pasta salad

As always, the dressing is my favorite part of the salad. I chose a balsamic dressing for this pasta salad recipe because it enhances the flavor of the pickled red onions, vegetables, and pasta.

Flavored Vinegar: Balsamic vinegar has a signature, strong aroma and flavor that falls somewhere between sour and bitter and is definitely acidic.
Apple Cider Vinegar: Apple cider vinegar tastes just like apples, acid and vinegar. When combined with balsamic vinegar, and delicate flavor comes together.
Dijon mustard: Dijon mustard’s tanginess calms the acidity in the vinegar.
Maple syrup: Maple syrup adds a little sweetness, enhancing flavor to the dressing.
Fresh lemon juice: A bright citrus addition gives the dressing a fresh taste and a little more sweetness.
Italian seasoning: Italian seasoning is typically basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, and marjoram, with other herbs and spices sometimes making an appearance.

Replace the dressing

Instead of Dijon mustard, stone ground mustard works well.
Date syrup or agave are great substitutes for maple syrup.
Although I love fresh lemon juice, I prefer bottled lemon juice.
Fresh herbs replace dried herbs in recipes.

Once the dressing ingredients are whisked together, refrigerate the dressing. Then, wait until the spinach pasta salad recipe is ready to serve.

After the salad, toss the dressing and serve in individual bowls. And, don’t be surprised if someone asks for more. Furthermore, if you plan to prepare the meal, serve the dressing on the side.

Spinach pasta salad is served in a large bowl on the table

Recipe FAQs

Why don’t you wash pasta salad noodles?

If the pasta salad is served cold, rinsing the noodles in cold water speeds up the process.

What is a substitute for Italian seasoning?

A combination of oregano and basil! Italian seasoning has the strongest flavor profile of these dried herbs. Of course, if you’re drying the thyme, you can throw in a little bit of it as well.

Can I use fresh herbs instead of Italian seasoning?

Just take the same fresh herbs and cut them into equal parts. The general rule of thumb for dried and fresh herbs is 1 tablespoon fresh to 1 teaspoon dried.

advice

Do not dress the pasta salad until just before serving, or the spinach will become soggy.
Do not add the noodles to the raw vegetables until the noodles have cooled.
When the meal is ready, toss the dressing over the warm noodles and broccoli, store separately in a bowl, and add the raw vegetables before serving.
Choose gluten-free pasta for a gluten-free option.

Spinach Pasta Salad is a great quick summer meal perfect for hot summer days or nights!

Suggested Summer Salad Recipes

If you love this spinach salad recipe, give it a 5-star review and comment below!

📖 Recipe

Cathy Carmichael

Spinach Pasta Salad is the perfect balance of greens, vegetables and pasta with oil-free balsamic dressing. This salad is not only filling, but also tasty and delicious.