Whole-Wheat Pasta Salad with Walnuts and Feta Cheese
This is an easy and healthy whole-wheat pasta salad featuring spiral pasta, toasted walnuts, crumbled feta, red onion, and baby spinach, all tossed in a simple walnut oil and red wine vinegar dressing. It's a quick recipe perfect for a light lunch or side dish.
Equipment
- 1 Large Pot For boiling pasta
- 1 Colander For draining and rinsing pasta
- 1 Saute Pan For toasting walnuts
- 1 Large Mixing Bowl For combining salad ingredients
- 1 Small Bowl and Whisk For preparing the dressing
Ingredients
Main
- 1/2 pound whole-wheat fusilli or other spiral shaped pasta
- 1/2 cup walnuts
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1/2 cup diced red onion
- 1 1/2 cups chopped baby spinach leaves
- 2 tablespoons walnut oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 clove of garlic minced (about 1/2 teaspoon)
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. Drain the pasta, rinse it under cold water, and put it in the refrigerator to chill.
- In a dry saute pan toast the walnuts over a medium-high flame until they are fragrant, about 2 minutes. Set the walnuts aside to cool then chop them coarsely.
- In a large bowl, toss together the chilled pasta, walnuts, feta cheese, onion, and spinach. In a small bowl whisk the oil, vinegar, garlic and mustard. Pour the dressing over the pasta salad and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
Notes
Ensure pasta is thoroughly chilled after rinsing; this prevents it from clumping and makes a refreshing salad base. Watch the walnuts closely while toasting, as they can burn quickly; toast just until fragrant. Use good quality walnut oil for the dressing to enhance the nuttiness of the dish. Whisk the dressing vigorously to emulsify it properly before pouring over the salad. Adjust salt and pepper to taste at the end.