Lemony Pasta Salad with Spinach
A cool, creamy pasta salad with eye-health benefits for hot weather menus.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces fusilli rotini or penne pasta
- 2 ounces spinach leaves
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 2 tablespoons shallots minced⅓
- 2 tablespoons capers
- ½ lemon juice and zest
- 3 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
- 3 tablespoons Greek yogurt whole milk
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 clove garlic pressed
- ⅛ teaspoon hot sauce
- ⅛ teaspoon dry mustard
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of lightly salted boiling water until barely al dente, about 10 minutes. Pour the pasta into a colander and rinse the pasta with cold water. Thoroughly drain. Refrigerate for at least an hour.
- While the pasta is chilling make the Creamy Lemon Vinaigrette.
- Place the chilled pasta in a large bowl.
- Top with spinach, cherry tomato halves, minced shallots and capers.
- Shake or whisk the vinaigrette to blend; pour over the pasta salad ingredients and toss, thoroughly coating the pasta and vegetables.
- Chill for at least an hour before serving.
- Salad will keep for 3+ days in the refrigerator.
Notes
CREAMY LEMON VINAIGRETTE 🍋:
Juice and zest half a lemon. In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine juice and zest with 3 Tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil, 3 Tablespoons of plain, whole milk Greek yogurt, 1 pressed garlic clove, 1 teaspoon of honey, ⅛ teaspoon dry mustard, ⅛ teaspoon hot sauce, and salt to taste.
The prep time for this recipe includes chilling.
For whole-grain goodness, choose to make this salad with whole-grain pasta. I've tried it with both durum semolina and whole-wheat pasta, and both are delicious!
This is a great picnic or potluck salad. Just double the amounts given in the ingredient list (including twice the amount of vinaigrette) to feed 8 to 10 people.
On the other hand, you could just double the recipe so that you have some extra salad hanging out in your refrigerator for stay-at-home lunches during the summer of the pandemic!
You could add diced chicken, sliced ham or turkey or a hard-cooked egg on the side -- for extra protein. Or, maybe enjoy it with a sandwich!
Nutrition
Serving: 1gCalories: 332kcalCarbohydrates: 48gProtein: 10gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 136mgPotassium: 297mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 1420IUVitamin C: 16mgCalcium: 42mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!