Description
Mediterranean magic meets zesty freshness in this feta & cranberry penne salad with orange vinaigrette. Tangy cheese, sweet cranberries, and citrus-kissed dressing create a perfect harmony you’ll crave on warm summer days.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 8 ounces (226 grams) penne pasta
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
Additional Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
- 1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Prepare a generously salted pot of water and bring to a rolling boil. Submerge penne pasta and cook until perfectly tender yet firm, following precise package timing guidelines.
- While pasta cooks, craft the vibrant orange vinaigrette by vigorously whisking orange juice, olive oil, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, and freshly ground black pepper until the mixture transforms into a smooth, emulsified dressing.
- Drain pasta thoroughly in a colander and rinse under cool running water to halt the cooking process and prevent further softening. Allow pasta to drain completely, ensuring no excess water remains.
- Select a spacious mixing vessel and layer in the cooled pasta, creating a foundation for the salad. Artfully scatter crumbled feta cheese, jewel-like dried cranberries, and crunchy toasted walnuts across the pasta surface.
- Delicately integrate thin half-moons of red onion and tender baby spinach leaves throughout the pasta mixture, ensuring even distribution of ingredients.
- Cascade the prepared orange vinaigrette over the salad, using gentle folding motions to coat each ingredient without crushing the delicate components.
- For optimal flavor development, either serve immediately at room temperature or chill briefly in the refrigerator, allowing the vinaigrette to permeate and harmonize the ingredients.
Notes
- Toast nuts carefully to prevent burning, watching them closely in the pan or oven for a golden color and rich, nutty flavor.
- Substitute feta with plant-based cheese alternatives for a vegan version, ensuring the same creamy texture and tangy taste.
- Rinse pasta with cold water immediately after cooking to stop the cooking process and prevent overcooking, maintaining a perfect al dente texture.
- Prepare vinaigrette ahead of time and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, allowing flavors to develop and intensify for a more robust dressing.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 50 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg