Pasta Salad with Spinach, Olives, and Mozzarella Recipe
The briny flavor of olives combines with creamy mozzarella and a tangy vinaigrette for a pasta salad that’s a shoo-in for everything from brown-bag lunches to summer picnics.
Game plan: This pasta salad can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated in a covered container.
- 1 pound orecchiette or conchiglie pasta
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, drained and cut into small dice
- 3 ounces baby spinach (about 4 cups), thoroughly washed and dried
- 1 1/2 cups pitted and halved kalamata olives
- 1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- Bring a medium pot of heavily salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook pasta according to the package directions, or until al dente. Drain, then rinse under cold water until cool.
- Transfer pasta to a large bowl and add mozzarella, spinach, olives, and Parmesan. Toss to combine.
- In a separate, nonreactive bowl, combine vinegar, salt, and pepper. While whisking constantly, slowly add oil by pouring in a thin stream down the side of the bowl. Whisk until completely incorporated.
- Pour vinaigrette over salad and toss until pasta is coated. Taste, adjust seasoning as desired, and serve.
Beverage pairing: Antonopoulos Mantinia Moschofilero, Greece. Spinach and olives are hallmarks of the Mediterranean, so a crisp white from the same region makes sense. Moschofilero is a wonderful wine from Greece, blending fine, firm acidity with a round, medium body and just the kind of bright citrus, herb, and apple flavors that go wonderfully with spinach and olives.
This is a great combo. I love cold spinach salad and I've been looking for a way to add to the variety.
Great great great meal!
A brown bag lunch, if you're not trolling, is a lunch packed in a paper sack, aka brown bag, rather than a lunch box or insulated cooler. It's an expression. And stop yelling. BTW this recipe is simple and delicious. Thanks.
WTF IS A BROWN BAG LUNCH????
I followed this recipe exactly and the result was excellent. I made it the day before and tossed it frequently so that the flavors would meld. Luckily, there were leftovers so I enjoyed it the next day, also. This is a relatively expensive recipe to make, but if you want to impress, go for it!
Some pine nuts and roasted garlic on top = yum!
Sounds a lot like something I make - but I throw in either diced up roasted peppers or sundried (in oil) tomatos that I slice into tiny pieces - it just looks better with some red thrown in.
I'm cooking for someone with a suppressed immune system (no raw veggies) so I'll try sauteing and finely chopping the spinach first, then making a reduced-fat vinegrette with it. I'd cut down on the olives, chop them smaller for better flavor distribution, and use less cheese. Maybe just dust it on top of each serving.
don't forget the anti oxidants and the green vegies!
Healthy if you don't eat the entire thing, each of the things complained about here also have some benefits. As part of a balanced diet or a balanced meal the iron, calcium, fiber, non-saturated fats, even the good bugs in cheese are all good for you.........does look great but if my mother put this in my lunch I would have looked for the guy who got the fluffer nutter ;)
It looks great, just the same. I have had a similar salad made with cheese tortellini in place of the pasta and mozz, and it is delicious. I can't wait to try this. Thanks Aida = )
I'm thinking maybe the spinach is healthy
It looks tasty. The link to this recipe labelled it "healthy" and there is no nutritional breakdown. It includes 1cup of Parmesan cheese: high in fat and salt. It includes 6 T of oil: high in fat. It includes mozzarella and olives: high in salt and fat. It includes 2 t of extra salt. Why is it healthy?
Great!! Very Simple and Practical.. Why didn't I think of this. I would use my best Olive Oil on this.. Cheers.
This looks like a great recipie to send with my Grand Son for his lunch at school ! I think he and I will go shopping for the ingredients tonight ! Thank you Miss Marsha