Spring Spinach Strawberry Pasta Salad (Print Version)

Tender pasta tossed with fresh spinach, sweet strawberries, toasted almonds, and homemade poppy seed dressing.

# 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

# How To Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add bow-tie pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain in a colander, rinse under cold running water, and transfer to a large bowl to cool completely.
02 - In a small mixing bowl, whisk together olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, poppy seeds, salt, and black pepper until fully combined and emulsified.
03 - In a large salad bowl, combine the cooled pasta, baby spinach, sliced strawberries, and toasted almonds. Toss gently to distribute ingredients evenly.
04 - Drizzle the poppy seed dressing over the salad mixture and toss gently to coat all ingredients evenly. Top with crumbled feta cheese and fresh basil if desired. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The sweet and savory combo hits every single craving in one bite
  • It tastes even better after sitting for an hour making it perfect for parties
  • People will think you spent way more time on it than you actually did
02 -
  • Never toss warm pasta with fresh spinach or you will end up with a wilted sad mess instead of a crisp salad
  • The dressing needs to be made immediately before serving because poppy seeds get soggy if they sit too long
  • This salad tastes best at room temperature not straight from the refrigerator so let it sit out for 15 minutes before serving
03 -
  • Buy strawberries that are slightly underripe since they will hold their shape better in the salad
  • Use a salad spinner to dry the spinach thoroughly because wet leaves make for watery dressing
  • Taste the dressing before adding it to the salad since different honeys have different sweetness levels
Go Back