Spinach Pasta Salad
Pasta salad and spinach salad come together to make this Mediterranean-inspired spinach pasta salad! Enjoy it as a fresh and crowd-pleasing side dish for the summer barbecue, picnic, or party.
Servings: 4 to 6
Calories: 722kcal
Ingredients
- 1 (14-ounce) block of extra firm tofu
- 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons of garlic powder
- 2 lemons juiced
- 3 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- ½ teaspoon of black pepper
- ¼ cup of olive brine
- ¼ cup of fresh basil thinly sliced
- 1 pound of short pasta cooked and cooled
- 10 ounces of frozen peas
- ¼ teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes
- 10 ounces of baby spinach
- 1 red onion thinly sliced
- ½ cup of kalamata olives halved
- 1 pint of cherry tomatoes halved
Instructions
- Add the tofu to an extra-large bowl, and crumble it into small pieces to resemble crumbled feta cheese. Add the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, olive brine, and basil. Taste and adjust seasoning levels. It should be slightly salty. Mix well and set aside in the refrigerator. The longer it sits, the tastier it gets.
- Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Set aside to cool in a colander.
- Give a quick rinse to the pot, and heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the frozen peas and cook until fully defrosted. Add the crushed red pepper and saute for 1 minute. Set aside to cool.
- Once the pasta and peas are fully cooled, add half of the spinach to the large bowl with the tofu. Mix well until the spinach is fully coated with the tofu feta. Add the remaining spinach and mix well.
- Add the onion, olives, and cherry tomatoes. Toss until fully combined.
- Add half of the pasta and mix well. Add the remaining pasta and peas. Mix well, taste, and adjust seasoning levels. Place the bowl in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving.
- Toss and serve cold.
Notes
- Cook the pasta ahead of time: Give your pasta plenty of time to cool by cooking it a few hours or up to 1 day before adding it to the salad. If you don’t have time to cook it in advance, rinse the pasta under cold water to cool it down fast.
- Make the tofu feta with extra-firm tofu: Soft or medium tofu contains too much liquid, thus making the salad watery and less flavorful. Check out our guide to tofu to learn more!
- Press the tofu: Use a tofu press or wrap the brick of tofu in a clean tea towel and place something heavy on top to drain as much excess water as possible. This way, your tofu feta will be much more tender and flavorful. Check out our guide to tofu pressing to learn more!
Nutrition
Calories: 722kcal | Carbohydrates: 114g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Sodium: 1421mg | Potassium: 1388mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 7971IU | Vitamin C: 106mg | Calcium: 198mg | Iron: 7mg