Meatless Friday: Summer Fruit and Pasta Salad

Elizabeth Varga shares a fun fruity dish to highlight summer produce. It's ready in less than 30 minutes. Download our printable recipe card!

I've been making a version of this salad for a few years now. I keep returning to it because it has bold flavors and is so easy to make. I love making it in the summer, when the produce is at its peak — hello, cherry season!

This salad is a green salad, fruit salad, and pasta salad all in one!

Using fruits in savory salads is so underrated. Fruits add sweetness and texture that help enhance the overall flavor of a savory salad.

And pasta adds a heartiness to the salad that you won't get with produce alone.

With a base of greens, you're still getting the veggies and fiber that makes a salad so healthy.

Summer Fruit and Pasta Salad

Ingredients for Salad

• 8 Ounces Rotini (I used chickpea rotini for extra protein)
• 5 Ounces Fresh Spinach
• 1 Medium Fennel Bulb, cored and sliced vertically
• 2 Cups Edamame, cooked according to package directions and cooled
• 1 Cup Cherries, pitted and halved
• 1 Medium Mango, peeled and cubed
• 2 Medium Nectarines or Plums, sliced

Ingredients for Dressing

• 3 Tablespoons Maple Syrup
• 1 Tablespoon Tahini
• Zest of 1 Lemon
• Juice of 2 Lemons
• ½ Teaspoon Salt

Directions

1. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions.
2. In a small bowl whisk together the dressing ingredients.
3. Assemble the salad. Place a bed of spinach on a large platter or bowl. Top with the fennel, cooked pasta, edamame, cherries, nectarines, and mango. Drizzle with the dressing. Enjoy!

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Copyright 2024 Elizabeth Varga
Images: copyright 2024 Elizabeth Varga