Raspberry Spinach Feta Pasta Salad (Printable version)

Fresh raspberries, spinach, and feta tossed with pasta in tangy honey vinaigrette.

# Ingredient list:

→ Pasta

01 - 7 oz short pasta (fusilli, penne, or farfalle)
02 - 1 tsp salt for boiling water

→ Vegetables & Fruit

03 - 3.5 oz baby spinach, washed and dried
04 - 4.5 oz fresh raspberries
05 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
06 - 1 small cucumber, diced

→ Cheese & Nuts

07 - 3.5 oz feta cheese, crumbled
08 - 1 oz toasted walnuts or pecans, roughly chopped (optional)

→ Dressing

09 - 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
10 - 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
11 - 1 tbsp raspberry vinegar or red wine vinegar
12 - 1 tsp honey or maple syrup
13 - 1 tsp Dijon mustard
14 - Salt and black pepper, to taste

# Directions:

01 - Boil pasta in salted water until al dente per package directions. Drain thoroughly and rinse under cold water to stop cooking and cool completely.
02 - Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper in small bowl until emulsified and smooth.
03 - Place cooled pasta, spinach, red onion, cucumber, and half the raspberries in large serving bowl. Toss gently to distribute evenly.
04 - Drizzle vinaigrette over salad mixture. Fold ingredients carefully with salad utensils to coat without crushing delicate raspberries.
05 - Scatter crumbled feta, remaining fresh raspberries, and toasted nuts across top. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 2 hours before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The sweet and tangy combination wakes up your palate in ways traditional pasta salads never could
  • It comes together faster than you can set the table and actually gets better as it sits
  • People will ask for the recipe before theyve even finished their first serving
02 -
  • Rinse your pasta thoroughly after cooking or the residual heat will wilt the spinach immediately
  • Add the dressing just before serving, not hours ahead, to keep the raspberries from bleeding too much
  • Room temperature pasta salad has more flavor than cold straight from the fridge
03 -
  • Buy the best feta you can find, preferably from a specialty cheese counter rather than pre-crumbled tubs
  • Toast your nuts in the morning if making this for dinner, the house will smell amazing
  • If your raspberries are very tart, add an extra half teaspoon of honey to the dressing

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