Description
This vibrant summer salad combines creamy feta, tart dried cranberries, and penne pasta tossed in a bright homemade orange vinaigrette. It’s quick to prepare, crowd-pleasing, and perfect for picnics, potlucks, or a refreshing weeknight meal.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 oz penne pasta, dried (whole wheat or gluten-free optional)
- 5 oz feta cheese, crumbled
- 2/3 cup dried cranberries (unsweetened or sweetened)
- 1/4 small red onion, finely diced
- 2 cups baby spinach or arugula, roughly chopped (optional)
- 1 teaspoon orange zest (from a fresh orange)
- 1/3 cup fresh orange juice (about 1 large orange)
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
- 1 tablespoon honey (or maple syrup for vegan)
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Optional: 1/2 cup toasted walnuts or pecans
- Optional: Fresh herbs (mint or parsley), chopped, for garnish
- Optional: Cherry tomatoes, halved
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add penne pasta and cook according to package instructions (10-12 minutes) until al dente, stirring occasionally.
- Drain pasta in a colander and rinse with cold water to cool. Shake off excess water and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- In a small bowl, whisk together orange juice, olive oil, vinegar, honey (or maple syrup), Dijon mustard, orange zest, salt, and pepper until smooth and slightly thickened.
- Add crumbled feta, dried cranberries, diced red onion, and chopped spinach or arugula to the cooled penne.
- Pour the orange vinaigrette over the salad ingredients.
- Toss gently until everything is well coated. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Fold in optional toasted nuts, cherry tomatoes, or fresh herbs if desired.
- Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes for best flavor, or serve immediately at room temperature.
- Garnish with extra orange zest, feta, and herbs before serving.
Notes
For best texture, use block feta crumbled by hand and add after pasta has cooled. Rinse pasta to prevent stickiness. Adjust vinaigrette to taste, and add nuts just before serving for crunch. Easily adapted for gluten-free or vegan diets. Salad keeps well for up to 3 days in the fridge.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: About 1 1/2 cups per serving
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 10
- Sodium: 400
- Fat: 15
- Saturated Fat: 5
- Carbohydrates: 45
- Fiber: 4
- Protein: 10
Keywords: feta cranberry penne salad, orange vinaigrette, summer salad, pasta salad, vegetarian, picnic, potluck, easy salad, Mediterranean salad, healthy salad