Feta & Cranberry Penne Salad with Orange Vinaigrette Recipe
A refreshing and vibrant feta and cranberry penne salad tossed with baby spinach, toasted walnuts, and a zesty orange vinaigrette. This easy-to-make pasta salad balances sweet, tangy, and savory flavors, perfect for light lunches, picnics, or as a colorful side dish.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta and Salad Ingredients
- 8 oz penne pasta
- ½ cup feta cheese, crumbled
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup toasted walnuts, chopped
- 2 cups baby spinach
- ¼ cup red onion, thinly sliced
Orange Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup fresh orange juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the penne pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Drain the pasta and rinse it under cold water to stop the cooking process and cool it down. Set aside to drain well.
- Make the Orange Vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk together fresh orange juice, olive oil, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, and black pepper until the mixture is smooth and emulsified, creating a bright and tangy dressing.
- Assemble the Salad: In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked and cooled penne pasta with crumbled feta cheese, dried cranberries, toasted and chopped walnuts, fresh baby spinach leaves, and thinly sliced red onion. Mix gently to distribute the ingredients evenly.
- Dress & Toss: Drizzle the prepared orange vinaigrette over the salad ingredients. Toss everything gently but thoroughly to coat the pasta and other components evenly with the dressing, ensuring each bite is flavorful.
Notes
- For best texture, rinse the pasta under cold water after cooking to prevent it from becoming mushy.
- You can substitute walnuts with pecans or almonds if preferred.
- Dried cranberries can be swapped out for raisins or chopped dried cherries for a different sweet note.
- This salad is best served chilled or at room temperature.
- To make it vegan, replace feta cheese with a plant-based cheese alternative and use maple syrup instead of honey.
Keywords: feta penne salad, cranberry pasta salad, orange vinaigrette, summer pasta salad, vegetarian pasta salad, walnut salad
