Description
Sweet strawberries, salty feta cheese, tender pasta, crisp romaine lettuce, avocado, sliced almonds, and a tangy homemade poppy seed dressing come together in this fresh and colorful pasta salad. Strawberry feta pasta salad is perfect for summer cookouts, picnics, potlucks, and easy weeknight dinners. Feel free to add grilled chicken, shrimp, salmon, or chickpeas on top!
Ingredients
Poppy Seed Dressing
- 2/3 cup (160g) plain Greek yogurt*
- 1/4 cup (60g/ml) apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup (56g/60ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup (85g) honey
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (or 1/2 teaspoon ground dry mustard)
- 1 Tablespoon poppy seeds
Pasta Salad
- 1 pound (454g) uncooked pasta*
- 3 cups (about 150g) chopped romaine lettuce
- 1–1.5 lbs. (454–681g) fresh strawberries, sliced
- 3/4 cup (113g) crumbled feta cheese
- 2 avocados, diced
- 3/4 cup (85g) sliced almonds
- optional add-ins: chickpeas, grilled chicken, cooked shrimp, or cooked salmon
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cool water, then set aside to cool.
- Make the dressing: In a medium bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the Greek yogurt, vinegar, olive oil, honey, salt, mustard, and poppy seeds until smooth and combined.
- Assemble the salad: In a large bowl, combine the cooked pasta, romaine, strawberries, feta, avocado, and almonds. (And optional chickpeas and/or cooked chicken, shrimp, or salmon, if using.) Pour the dressing over top and stir gently until everything is evenly coated. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. For make-ahead instructions, see Note.
- Cover tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Notes
- Make-Ahead Instructions: This is an excellent recipe for entertaining because a lot of the prep can be done ahead. Up to 1 day ahead, cook and cool the pasta, prepare the dressing, and chop the romaine and strawberries. Refrigerate everything separately. 30 minutes to a couple hours before serving, assemble the salad and toss with the dressing. If you’re assembling the salad more than a couple hours in advance, wait to add the avocado until just before serving to prevent it from browning and becoming too soft. Also, if the salad sits for several hours, reserve a small amount of dressing to stir in before serving. Pasta naturally absorbs dressing as it sits, and this little refresh helps restore its creamy texture.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Colander | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Silicone Spatula
- Pasta: Choose a pasta shape with plenty of ridges or curves to catch the dressing. Rotini, fusilli, cavatappi, gemelli, or farfalle (bowtie) are all great choices.
- Greek Yogurt: You can use any fat content, from 0% (nonfat) to whole (full fat).
- Romaine: For the freshest-tasting results, chop the romaine yourself rather than buying a bag of pre-chopped lettuce. Romaine hearts provide the crunchiest bite.