Caprese Strawberry Pasta Salad
We're totally swooning over this scrumptious Strawberry Pasta Salad!
Servings 4 servings
Calories 391kcal
Ingredients
- 8 oz pasta shells or spirals
- ½ cup mozzarella (balls or cubed)
- 1 cup roughly chopped fresh baby spinach
- ¾ cup chopped strawberries
- fresh chopped basil, to taste
FOR THE DRESSING:
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 TBSP fresh squeezed lime juice
- 1.5 TBSP red or white wine vinegar
- 1.5 TBSP Italian seasoning blend (I love using Mrs. Dash)
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Boil pasta per package instructions, strain, then rinse with cold water.
- While the pasta cooks, combine salad dressing ingredients in a mason jar. Secure the lid and shake well.
- Chop anywhere from 1-3 cups of baby spinach (add a little... or a lot!) and drizzle a little bit of the dressing over the leaves. Toss to lightly coat. I often like to take a few seconds to toss my hands in and gently massage the dressing into the spinach leaves. It helps remove some of the "squeakiness" of the veggie and makes it turn this luscious glossy green - love it so!
- Add pasta, strawberries, mozzarella pearls, and basil and add remaining dressing and mix well.
- Dive in and enjoy!
Notes
Recipe yields hearty portions or 4 small sides.
If your go-to Italian blend has salt in it already (mine doesn't) then season to taste instead of defaulting to the 1/4 tsp sea salt the recipe calls for. You may want a pinch more or might like it without any extra. Let your tastebuds be your guide!
Crazy for balsamic? A drizzle of balsamic vinegar glaze, or reduction would be AMAZING atop this sassy strawberry flecked salad!
Nutrition Facts below are estimated using an online recipe nutrition calculator. Adjust as needed and enjoy!
Nutrition
Calories: 391kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 390mg | Potassium: 244mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 830IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 124mg | Iron: 2mg
