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This Spinach Pasta Salad is a tangy, garlicky, peppery pasta salad that I can’t seem to stop making and eating on repeat.
The combination of crisp, fresh spinach with the chewy pasta and the tangy dressing is simply irresistible.
Spinach Pasta Salad
I am a big fan of easy dinner recipes and this garlicky pasta salad with spinach is a perfect example of that.
As an added bonus, it keeps nicely in the refrigerator for several days making it perfect for a casual dinner that you can prep early in the day or the day before.
For even more bonus points, the salad also holds well at room temperature for picnics, potlucks, and barbecues. That’s a make-ahead potluck dish win for sure!
Anyone who has been reading this blog for more than a few days knows that I love sharing flavorful recipes that come together with a minimum of fuss.
Today’s pasta salad is the all-around perfect meal for any occasion all summer long. Go ahead and make it now. You can thank me later.
Spinach Pasta Salad Recipe
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil along with 1 tablespoon kosher salt. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain, but do not rinse the pasta.
- While the pasta is cooking, slice the onions and mince the garlic. (I use this garlic press.) Combine the onions and garlic in a large mixing bowl.
- Add the olive oil and vinegar to cover the onions. When the pasta has been drained, add it to the mixing bowl and toss well. Add the tomatoes and spinach.
- Toss everything together to mix well and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Taste the salad and add more salt and pepper, as needed. Sprinkle with Parmesan, if desired.
Pasta Salad Recipes
Pasta salad is one of the easiest make-ahead meals for lunch or dinner. Throughout the summer, you’ll find me tossing an easy pasta salad recipe together and then eating over the next few days.
This Creamy Pasta Salad has been a reader favorite for years now and it’s also a family favorite. Have you tried it yet?
Light and tangy Italian Pasta Salad is great on its own for a meatless meal and it’s also terrific with burgers or grilled chicken.
I have this Turkey Cranberry Pasta Salad by Spend with Pennies on my must-try list for the holidays this year. It sounds absolutely delicious.
My sister Jenny is going to love this Israeli Pasta Salad by The View from Great Island. It is loaded with flavor and keeps well in the fridge for several days.
Tender pasta and mouthwatering flavorful tomatoes are tossed together with a tangy-sweet dressing to make a versatile Best Ever Tomato Pasta that can be served warm, cold, or at room temperature.
Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad is a kid favorite that the adults love as well. Filled with bacon and cheddar cheese, then tossed with a creamy ranch dressing, what’s not to love?
Spinach Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 8 ounces bowtie pasta
- 1/2 very small red onion thinly sliced and cut into 1-inch pieces, about 1/4 cup
- 3 large cloves garlic minced
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 cups baby spinach
- 2 cups grape tomatoes halved
- grated fresh Parmesan optional
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil along with 1 tablespoon kosher salt. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain, but do not rinse the pasta.
- While the pasta is cooking, place the onions and garlic in a large mixing bowl. Add the olive oil and vinegar to cover the onions. When the pasta has been drained, add it to the mixing bowl and toss well. Add the tomatoes and spinach.
- Toss everything together to mix well and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Taste the salad and add more salt and pepper, as needed. Sprinkle with Parmesan, if desired. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
{originally published 8/8/17 – recipe notes and photos updated 8/5/21}
Is this meant to serve warm or cold or either?
I serve it both ways!
Could I substitute something for the red wine vinegar?
It will certainly work with a different vinegar, however red wine vinegar is my favorite for this recipe.
We made this again last night. It’s one of our favorite salads. I typically add some chicken to it to make it a heartier meal.
I’m glad you are enjoying the salad, Crystal.
I added1&1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1&1/2 sugar(I used 3/4 packet sweet & low)
Was delicious‼️
I’m so glad you like the salad, Sue!
I love this idea! I made it tonight and added frozen corn (to speed up cooling of pasta), Canadian bacon and shredded cheddar cheese. Absolutely wonderful and I will be making it again!!
I’m so glad you like the salad. I bet it was great with those additions too!
Can I use iodized salt to replace the kosher salt
You will want to use half of the amount for the smaller grains of iodized salt, Amanda.
Made this for the first time tonight. OUTSTANDING! I am gluten free, so used Barilla GF penne. Added tomatoes from the garden. Do NOT leave out the parmesan cheese. It really finishes the dish. I also used minced garlic from a jar, since fresh garlic goes bad on me before I can use it all. I’m taking the leftovers to a winery concert tomorrow…and I won’t share!
Forgot to mention I think this would be delish cold, warm or hot. One of my new favorites.
We love it all of those ways, Darcy!
I’m so happy to hear that you love it, Darcy!
Hi Mary!
I am going to give this a try soon. This recipe says 8 servings but doesn’t indicate the size of those servings. 1/2 cup, 1 cup, 1 1/2 cups? Could you also tell us how many total cups this makes for planning container size to take one 8 servings size recipe? I like to have that information on recipes so I can whip one up for a small gathering or a big party size amount. My Pyrex Ribbed Bowl (4) Set has 1 each 3-cup (750 mL), 6-cup (1.5 L), 10-cup (2.5 L), 4.5 qt (4.5 L).
Thanks so much for sharing this recipe. It makes a beautiful salad and I can’t wait to give it a go!
Kind regards, Terry Day, Hampton, Virginia
Theresa – As a general rule of thumb 8 oz. of uncooked pasta will yield about 4 cups of cooked pasta. Then with the spinach and tomato added, I would plan on a serving size to be 3/4-1 cup per person. In terms of a bowl, the 10 cup one should work fine. My rule of thumb with mixing though is if in doubt go bigger you can always dump it into something small to serve and store. Enjoy!
I have only use 1/2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp dijon mustard, and add some imitation crab, it was delicious! ❤️
Great salad! The only change I made was that before adding the dressing I sprinkled a tsp of dry basil and oregano on the ingredients and then added the dressing. Since we are GF, used Jovial penne since it holds up well and doesn’t fall apart in recipes. It was wonderful. Thanks for all of your salads and dressing recipes.
I’m glad you liked it, Susan. Thanks for the tip on the Jovial pasta. I haven’t tried that one.
This is a keeper! Such a great summer dish. I used egg noodles instead of pasta and it was so tasty!
I’m glad you like it, Betty.
This was SO good! Perfect for a summer side dish. Thank you for the recipe!
It’s one of my faves. I’m glad you like it too!
My sister in law made this for a family gathering. Absolutely delicious! She did add toasted pine nuts to it for her own twist.
10/10 will be making this often.
mmmm, I bet the pine nuts were great!
I make this often for lunch meal prep. I vary the pasta style, and vinegar from time to time. This salad is filling and has bright healthy veggies. One recipe gives me 5 lunches.
Glad to hear that prepping lunches has been such a big help, Deborah. I love doing that with salads.
Question – why do you say not to rinse the pasta after cooking? I have made similar spinach bow tie salads in the past but always thought rinsing takes out some of the starch. I am planning to make this salad tonight for my book club. I will probably add some sun dried tomatoes, Kalamata olives and walnuts.
You are welcome to rinse the pasta, however I typically do not as I’m going to cook it with salt and that adds some flavor. Plus, I find the dressing sticks better to the pasta and makes it more flavorful if it isn’t risnsed. However, anytime I happen to slightly overcook the pasta, I always rinse in cold water to halt the cooking process. It’s really personal preference. If you want to rinse, go ahead, but taste before serving and adjust the salt as needed.
I want to make this 1 day before my event. Should I mix everything in the salad then put it in the fridge or should I mix it the day of?
I recommend prepping all of the ingredients and waiting to stir it together when ready to serve. You could combine the onions, garlic, oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper in a jar and shake it together. Just pour that over the other ingredients and toss well when serving.
My husband and I enjoyed this pasta salad very much. I tossed the pasta into the spinach, garlic, onion, vinegar , and olive oil mix so it wilted the spinach. Then I refrigerated it and added the tomatoes just before serving.
I’m happy to hear that you’re enjoying the salad!