Spring Spinach Strawberry Pasta Salad (Printable)

Refreshing bow-tie pasta salad with baby spinach, strawberries, almonds, and homemade poppy seed dressing.

# What You’ll 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 the bow-tie pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package instructions until al dente. Drain in a colander, rinse under cold water, and allow to cool completely before using.
02 - In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, poppy seeds, salt, and black pepper until thoroughly combined and emulsified.
03 - In a large salad bowl, combine the cooled pasta, baby spinach, sliced fresh strawberries, and toasted almonds, mixing gently to distribute ingredients evenly.
04 - Drizzle the poppy seed dressing over the pasta mixture and toss gently until all ingredients are evenly coated with the dressing.
05 - Top with crumbled feta cheese and fresh basil slices if desired. Serve immediately for optimal freshness and texture.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes like spring in a bowl, sweet and bright without being fussy or overdressed.
  • You can toss it together in under half an hour, and it looks like you tried much harder than you did.
  • The poppy seed dressing clings to every piece of pasta without pooling at the bottom like some vinaigrettes do.
  • Leftovers somehow taste even better the next day when the flavors have had time to settle in together.
02 -
  • Rinse the pasta under cold water after draining or it will wilt the spinach and turn the strawberries mushy before you even toss the salad.
  • Toast the almonds in a dry pan, not with oil, so they stay crunchy and don't turn greasy against the dressing.
  • Taste the dressing before you pour it on, strawberries vary wildly in sweetness and you might need an extra pinch of salt or drizzle of honey.
  • Don't overdress the salad, you can always add more but you can't take it back once it's pooling at the bottom of the bowl.
03 -
  • Use strawberries at their peak ripeness, they should smell sweet and feel slightly soft when you press them gently.
  • If your honey is too thick to whisk smoothly, warm it in the microwave for about five seconds and it will loosen right up.
  • Save a few whole strawberries and almonds to scatter on top after tossing, it makes the presentation look intentional and abundant.
  • Chill your serving bowl in the fridge for ten minutes before assembling the salad so everything stays cool and crisp longer.
Go Back