Quick Spinach Pasta Salad

Here is my favorite spinach pasta salad recipe, with tender penne, fresh spinach, juicy cherry tomatoes, tangy feta cheese, and a simple homemade red wine vinaigrette that comes together in minutes.

This pasta salad is perfect for potlucks, picnics, or just a quick weeknight dinner when it’s too hot to turn on the stove. I love that it tastes even better the next day after all the flavors have had time to mix together in the fridge.

What Kind of Spinach Should I Use?

For pasta salad, baby spinach is usually your best bet since it’s tender and doesn’t need any chopping. Regular spinach works too, but you’ll want to remove any thick stems and tear the larger leaves into bite-sized pieces. Fresh spinach is definitely the way to go here rather than frozen, since you want that crisp texture to hold up in the salad. If you’re buying pre-washed spinach in a bag or container, just give it a quick rinse and make sure to dry it well so your dressing doesn’t get watered down.

Options for Substitutions

This pasta salad is easy to customize based on what you have in your kitchen:

• Penne: Any short pasta shape works great here – try fusilli, rotini, farfalle, or even shells. They all hold the dressing well and mix nicely with the other ingredients.
• Spinach: Arugula makes a nice peppery swap, or you can use mixed greens or even chopped romaine. Just keep in mind that heartier greens like kale should be massaged with a bit of olive oil first to soften them up.
• Feta cheese: If you’re not a feta fan, try crumbled goat cheese for a similar tangy taste, or use shaved parmesan for something milder. For a dairy-free version, just leave it out or add some toasted pine nuts for extra richness.
• Red wine vinegar: White wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or even lemon juice will give you that bright, tangy flavor you need for the dressing.
• Cherry tomatoes: Grape tomatoes work just as well, or you can dice up regular tomatoes if that’s what you have. Just make sure to remove some of the seeds and juice so your salad doesn’t get watery.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake with pasta salad is cooking your penne until it’s completely soft, which leads to mushy pasta once it sits in the dressing – instead, cook it until al dente (about 1-2 minutes less than the package directions) since it will continue to soften as it absorbs the dressing.

Another common error is skipping the rinse step or not rinsing thoroughly enough with cold water, which stops the cooking process and prevents your pasta from clumping together into one big mass.

Don’t add the spinach to hot pasta or it will wilt and turn dark, so make sure your pasta is completely cooled before tossing everything together.

For the best flavor, let your dressing sit for 5-10 minutes before adding it to the salad, which gives the garlic time to mellow out and the flavors to blend together nicely.

What to Serve With Spinach Pasta Salad?

This pasta salad is pretty filling on its own, but it pairs really well with grilled chicken, salmon, or shrimp if you want to add some protein. It’s also a great side dish for summer barbecues alongside burgers, hot dogs, or grilled vegetables. I love serving it with warm pita bread or garlic bread on the side for a complete meal. Since the salad has Mediterranean flavors from the feta and oregano, it also goes nicely with hummus and some crispy pita chips as appetizers.

Storage Instructions

Store: This pasta salad actually gets better after sitting in the fridge for a few hours as the flavors blend together. Keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You might need to give it a quick stir before serving since the dressing can settle at the bottom.

Make Ahead: This is a great make-ahead dish for parties or meal prep. You can prepare everything up to 2 days in advance, though I’d recommend adding the spinach just a few hours before serving so it stays fresh and doesn’t wilt too much. The pasta will absorb some of the dressing over time, so you might want to drizzle a bit more olive oil before serving if it looks dry.

Serve: This salad is best served cold or at room temperature. If you’ve had it in the fridge, let it sit out for about 15 minutes before serving to take the chill off. Give it a good toss to redistribute the dressing and you’re good to go!

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 1300-1450
• Protein: 30-36 g
• Fat: 56-65 g
• Carbohydrates: 160-175 g

Ingredients

For the salad:

• 8 oz penne (I always use Barilla for the best al dente texture)
• 5 cups spinach
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes (halved lengthwise for easier eating)
• 1/2 cup red onion
• 3/4 cup feta cheese (I prefer Athenos crumbles for this salad)

For the dressing:

• 1/3 cup olive oil (extra virgin provides the best peppery finish)
• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Step 1: Prepare the Mise en Place and Dressing

• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved lengthwise
• 1/2 cup red onion, sliced

While water comes to a boil for the pasta, mince your garlic cloves finely.

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, oregano, salt, and black pepper.

Let this dressing sit while you cook—the garlic will infuse the oil and vinegar with deeper flavor.

Halve your cherry tomatoes lengthwise (they’ll be easier to eat this way) and thinly slice the red onion.

I like to slice the onion just before mixing to keep it crisp and prevent it from becoming too sharp-tasting.

Step 2: Cook the Pasta to Al Dente

• 8 oz penne

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil.

Add the penne and cook according to package directions, aiming for al dente texture—the pasta should have a slight firmness when you bite it, not mushy.

Drain the pasta in a colander but do not rinse it; the starch on the pasta helps the dressing cling to it better.

I always use Barilla because it holds its texture perfectly and doesn’t get gummy when dressed.

Step 3: Assemble and Dress the Salad

• cooked penne from Step 2
• 5 cups spinach
• halved cherry tomatoes from Step 1
• sliced red onion from Step 1
• 3/4 cup feta cheese crumbles
• dressing mixture from Step 1

While the pasta is still warm (but not piping hot), transfer it to a large mixing bowl.

Add the fresh spinach, halved cherry tomatoes, sliced red onion, and feta cheese crumbles to the warm pasta.

Pour the dressing from Step 1 over everything and toss gently but thoroughly, making sure every component is coated evenly.

The warmth of the pasta will slightly soften the spinach and help the flavors meld together beautifully.

I prefer using Athenos feta crumbles because they distribute throughout the salad without breaking down.

Quick Spinach Pasta Salad

Delicious Quick Spinach Pasta Salad recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 1375

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

For the salad::

• 8 oz penne (I always use Barilla for the best al dente texture)
• 5 cups spinach
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes (halved lengthwise for easier eating)
• 1/2 cup red onion
• 3/4 cup feta cheese (I prefer Athenos crumbles for this salad)

For the dressing::

• 1/3 cup olive oil (extra virgin provides the best peppery finish)
• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Method

 

1. While water comes to a boil for the pasta, mince your garlic cloves finely. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, oregano, salt, and black pepper. Let this dressing sit while you cook—the garlic will infuse the oil and vinegar with deeper flavor. Halve your cherry tomatoes lengthwise (they'll be easier to eat this way) and thinly slice the red onion. I like to slice the onion just before mixing to keep it crisp and prevent it from becoming too sharp-tasting.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the penne and cook according to package directions, aiming for al dente texture—the pasta should have a slight firmness when you bite it, not mushy. Drain the pasta in a colander but do not rinse it; the starch on the pasta helps the dressing cling to it better. I always use Barilla because it holds its texture perfectly and doesn't get gummy when dressed.
3. While the pasta is still warm (but not piping hot), transfer it to a large mixing bowl. Add the fresh spinach, halved cherry tomatoes, sliced red onion, and feta cheese crumbles to the warm pasta. Pour the dressing from Step 1 over everything and toss gently but thoroughly, making sure every component is coated evenly. The warmth of the pasta will slightly soften the spinach and help the flavors meld together beautifully. I prefer using Athenos feta crumbles because they distribute throughout the salad without breaking down.