Strawberry Balsamic Spinach Pasta Salad

I’m getting so excited for warmer weather. One of my favorite things about spring and summer is barbecues.

I love grilling, don’t get me wrong, but the potluck side dishes might be even better than the main course. I love having a variety of salads, and dips, and this salad is perfect for potlucks and barbecues.

I love homemade dressings. I feel like they are so flavorful and totally make the salad. This dressing is easy to whip up and goes perfectly with the pasta and spinach.

This is also a great way to get my kids to eat some vegetables, because they love the taste of it, all together.

I love the flavors of strawberry and balsamic together. It was a match made in heaven.

Throw in some feta cheese and candied pecans and you have one amazing flavor combination. If you are not a feta cheese fan, you could also do goat cheese, blue cheese, swiss cheese, mozzarella cheese, or parmesan cheese.

This salad is perfect for parties and potlucks and can be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge for a few hours until you are ready to serve it.

sneak more vegetables into the salad:

I love sneaking vegetables into my kids food. I have gotten pretty good at it. The smaller I cut them, the less they notice, and I feel totally fine about it.

Or, I will have them prepare the dish with me, have them cup up some of the vegetables, and then as we eat dinner, they like to feel that they have contributed and are more likely to eat it.

For this salad, you could easily sneak in a few extra veggies (you may want to cut them smaller), but here are a few we recommend:

• celery
• cucumber
• zucchini
• carrots
• green bell peppers
• broccoli

if you love this Strawberry balsamic spinach pasta salad, be sure to try The Best Creamy Pasta Salad. It’s a family favorite.

watch how to make another delicious salad recipe, here:

Did you know we have a Youtube Channel? We have hundreds of simple and delicious recipes, your family is going to love. We take you through each recipe, step by step, and show you exactly how to make them.

looking for more salad recipes? here are a few of our favorite:

Tangy Cucumber Salad
Chopped Vegetable Salad
Pear and Blue Cheese Salad
Tortellini Pasta Salad
BLT Salad

Strawberry Balsamic Spinach Pasta Salad Recipe

This Strawberry Balsamic Spinach Pasta Salad is what summer salad dreams are made of. It is simple, delicious, full of flavor and so easy to make. 

ServingServing: 8

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

SaveSaved Recipe! Print Pin

Ingredients

• ▢ 8 ounces penne pasta
• ▢ 4 cups baby spinach
• ▢ 2 cups strawberries, sliced
• ▢ 4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
• ▢ ½ cup candied pecans

Dressing

• ▢ 1 cup strawberries, sliced
• ▢ ⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
• ▢ ¼ cup olive oil
• ▢ 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons honey
• ▢ salt and pepper, to taste

Equipment

• Mixing Bowl (Large)
• Blender

Instructions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
2. Rinse in cold water until cool, drain and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, toss together cooked pasta, baby spinach, sliced strawberries, crumbled feta cheese and candied pecans.
4. In a blender, combine all dressing ingredients and blend until smooth.
5. Pour dressing over salad and toss to combine.
6. Store covered in refrigerator until serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 286 kcal · Carbohydrates: 36 g · Protein: 7 g · Fat: 13 g · Saturated Fat: 3 g · Cholesterol: 13 mg · Sodium: 203 mg · Potassium: 255 mg · Fiber: 3 g · Sugar: 12 g · Vitamin A: 1473 IU · Vitamin C: 36 mg · Calcium: 108 mg · Iron: 1 mg

Cuisine: American

Course: Salad

Did You Make This Recipe?We’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave a review or a question in the comment section below the post.

Follow Six Sisters’ Stuff on Instagram |Facebook |Pinterest | YouTube