Spring Spinach Strawberry Pasta Salad (Printable Version)

Refreshing bow-tie pasta with tender spinach, sweet 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

# How To Make:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add bow-tie pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Drain through a colander, rinse under cold water, and allow 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 emulsified and combined.
03 - In a large salad bowl, combine the cooled pasta, baby spinach, sliced strawberries, and toasted almonds.
04 - Drizzle the poppy seed dressing over the salad mixture and toss gently until all ingredients are evenly coated.
05 - Top with crumbled feta cheese and fresh basil if desired. Serve immediately while flavors are at their peak.

# Helpful Hints:

01 -
  • The dressing comes together in thirty seconds flat but tastes like you fussed over it
  • Cold pasta salad that actually gets better after sitting in the fridge for an hour
  • Sweet strawberries and salty feta are best friends who just met
02 -
  • Hot pasta wilts spinach into something tragic let everything cool completely first
  • Make this at least one hour ahead but the basil only goes on right before serving
  • The dressing looks too thin but trust the process it coats perfectly
03 -
  • Toast almonds in a dry pan over medium heat watching like a hawk because they burn fast
  • Buy strawberries a day ahead and let them sit on the counter they get sweeter
  • If making ahead keep the dressing separate and toss right before serving
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