Fresh spinach and white bThis fresh spinach pasta salad is a pasta salad. However, it leans more toward vegetables and beans than the pasta itself.

In that sense, you can think of it as a big salad tossed with pasta. Or make a grain salad with pasta.

You can make this dish when craving a summer pasta salad, but a will is kept from weighing it down.

Of course, there’s a time and a place for this – for example, summer only feels like summer with my BLT pasta salad!

But this is a different way of looking at it. A rich red wine vinaigrette adds a light and tart flavor.

At the same time, fresh spinach leaves make the whole dish crisp and green. I love the meal’s color, simplicity, and nutrition. I’ve got the perfect vegan pasta recipe for your last summer party.

Pasta and vegetable ingredients are equally divided

Most of my pasta salad recipes, like my classic creamy guacamole macaroni salad, start with a generous amount of cooked pasta.

This recipe includes cooked pasta, but it also calls for plenty of fresh spinach leaves (5 ounces full; you can also use chopped spinach).

The result is that the dish is actually 50 percent spinach salad and 50 percent pasta salad, all mixed together. Is this the best of both worlds?

Some bold pasta salad mixes.

One of the things I love about spinach pasta salad is that it’s simple yet tastes great.

This is mainly due to some of the mixtures I use: tangy, salty, umami-rich, or all of the above. These are all:

• Quick-cured onion
• Sun-dried tomato half
• Red wine vinegar

Many traditional pasta salad recipes call for diced or thinly sliced raw red Onions, which is fine, but pickled Onions taste even better if you ask me.

The same goes for sun-dried tomatoes. Rich, sweet, and salty flavors strongly flavor the spinach pasta salad.

For this recipe, any soft, sun-dried tomato will do: oil-packed, dried, rehydrated with hot liquid, or no oil-packed but soft (these are my recent personal favorites).

Then there’s the vinaigrette, a bold and confident concoction I shared earlier this summer. I love its bright acidity and a hint of garlic and mustard.

However, if you have another vinaigrette that you like or happen to have in the fridge, switch it. I’ve enjoyed experimenting with spinach pasta salads with Greek vinaigrette and champagne. I’m sure I’ll enjoy it over time.

What pasta do you recommend?

You can choose the type of pasta that best suits your taste and health needs.

I like traditional wheat pasta mainly because I like its taste and texture. However, contrary to popular belief, it also has some great nutrients.

An interesting fact I like to share with my nutrition clients is that regular pasta contains a fair amount of plant-based protein: about 7-8 grams per 2-ounce serving. That’s equivalent to half a cup of beans!

However, you can use soy pasta, such as chickpea or lentil pasta, to maximize protein in this recipe.

If you need to avoid gluten, use your favorite gluten-free pasta instead.

If you prefer wheat pasta with more fiber, whole wheat pasta will also work.

When it comes to pasta shapes, you can choose any medium or medium-sized variety. Good pasta for spinach pasta salad are:

• elbow
• cavatappi
• orecchiette
• Spaghetti or pasta
• Hors d ‘oeuvres rib macaroni
• Tubular surface pasta salad

Me? When I make this dish, I like to use farfalle, also known as bow pasta. Medium-sized, flat bow ties are perfect for mixing with oval, flat baby spinach leaves. Their nooks and crannies capture some white beans folded into a recipe.

Will any white bean be OK?

If you read this blog regularly, you’ll know that I love making recipes with white beans.

“White beans” is a term for a family of beans, including northern beans, navy beans, pasta beans, and butter beans.

These beans have similar healthy ingredients-protein, fiber, folate, iron, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, and zinc-and are creamy.

If you have them at home, you can use them in a spinach pasta salad or instead of black beans or chickpeas.

Adding a bean here turns the meal into an energy plate: beans provide protein (and some complex carbohydrates, too), pasta provides energy from complex carbohydrates, vinaigrette is a healthy source of mono- and polyunsaturated fats, and there are lots of vegetables.

How to make fresh spinach pasta salad

This is the epitome of a simple mixed meal.

Step 1: Make the components in advance

The only caveat is that you should make pickled red Onions ahead of time so they have time to become delicious and sour.

Instant pickles, also known as refrigerator pickles, are known for being quick to make, but their flavor is enhanced over time.

I also recommend making the vinaigrette a day or two in advance, as it will become more flavorful after being stored for a while.

One benefit of preparing a spinach pasta salad in advance is that it makes creating the finished product easy.

Step 2: Cook the pasta

This is actually the only cooking step needed to make this recipe.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions. Cooking time will vary depending on the type of pasta you choose, but 8-12 minutes is standard.

When the pasta reaches the texture you like (some people like it al dente, while I like it softer), drain it. Soak the cooked pasta in cold water for about 1 minute, then drain again.

Step 3: Mix and serve

Now it’s time to mix all the pasta salad ingredients.

For most of my salads, including pasta salads, I like to start with just the right amount of dressing and add as needed. You can add, but you can’t subtract.

Start by making a spinach pasta salad with six tablespoons of red wine vinaigrette, then stir well. Taste the salad and add as much dressing (or salt or pepper) as you like.

At this point, you can serve a spinach pasta salad or store it.

Spinach pasta salad can be stored in an airtight container for up to three days, which makes it a great pre-party or get-together dish.

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Meal preparation and storage time

You can make the pasta salad in advance and store it in the refrigerator for up to three days. Spinach will soften the longer it is stored, but three days is the best time to keep it fresh.

Since fresh vegetables are inside, they should retain their texture and crispness, so I don’t recommend this recipe for freezing.

Ingredients

8 oz pasta (225 g); Replace another medium-shaped pasta)

5 oz baby spinach leaves (150g)

1 cup soft sun-dried tomatoes, shredded (75g)

1 cup 10-minute quick pickled onion (110g)

1 1/2 cups cooked Great Northern beans or pasta beans (280 g), or 1 14.5 oz / 415 g canned beans, drained and rinsed; Use navy blue or butter beans instead)

6-8 TBSP red wine vinaigrette (90-120ml)

Ground black pepper (to taste)

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then add the flour. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions or the texture you prefer. Drain the pasta and let it soak under cold water for 1 minute, then drain again.
2. Add the butter to a large bowl with the spinach leaves, sun-dried tomatoes, marinated red onion, and white beans. Add the vinaigrette, starting with six tablespoons and adding more as needed, and toss the salad well. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper to your liking.
3. Serve or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Pasta salad is more than just a summer dish. Come September and October, I love to use autumn butternut squash for arugula pesto pasta salads.

Still, I’m inclined to think of this meal as a typical warm-weather lunch: relaxing and delicious while being cool and filling.

The spinach pasta salad puts the “salad” into the pasta salad, which is my favorite this year. I hope you get a chance to enjoy it before the season is over!