This Spinach Pasta Salad in Jar is layered with whole grain pasta, fresh mozzarella, tender baby spinach, and a delicious tangy balsamic vinaigrette. Make this spinach salad with pasta on Sunday to enjoy all week for a healthy lunch!
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When it comes to easy healthy work lunchesmason jar salads are at the top of the list. They are simple to prepare, and you don’t need to worry about lunches all week.
This Protein Power Mason Jar Salad, Detox Salad in a Jar, and this Copycat Ancient Grains Core Life Salad are just a few of my favorites! And now I can add this Spinach Pasta Salad recipe into the rotation.
Reasons you’ll love this recipe.
- Easy to prepare. Once you cook the pasta and make the dressing, the salad comes together quickly.
- Satisfying. Whole grain pasta, high protein fresh mozzarella, and fiber-rich veggies will keep you full and happy all afternoon.
- Delicious. You’ll look forward to eating this salad all day!
- Make-ahead. Layer the ingredients in a mason jar on Sunday to enjoy all week for lunch.
Ingredients
- Whole grain pasta. I like to use fusilli pasta because it hugs the dressing perfectly, but any short pasta will work.
- Balsamic vinaigrette. I love using Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette in this spinach salad with pasta; you can’t beat the flavor. But, in a pinch, you can use a high-quality store-bought balsamic dressing.
- Grape tomatoes. Any small tomato will work in this salad, and I like to cut them in half to soak up the dressing and make it easier to eat.
- Fresh mozzarella. My favorite flavor combo is fresh mozzarella, tomato, and balsamic dressing. Adding pasta and spinach creates a complete meal.
- Baby spinach. I prefer baby spinach leaves over regular spinach because it is delicate enough for salad, milder in flavor, but still offers a lot of nutritional value including vitamin C. It’s also available, cleaned, and ready to use.
How to Make Spinach Pasta Salad in a Jar
In these instructions, I will show you how to layer the spinach pasta salad ingredients into a mason jar. If you prefer to make a big salad for a party, serve a group of friends, or for a side dish, combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl.
- Start by making the pasta. Bring salted water to a boil, add the pasta, and cook according to package directions until al dente. Set the cooked pasta aside to cool before putting the rest of the salad together.
- While waiting for the pasta to cool, prepare the homemade balsamic dressing.
- Put together the mason jar salads. Pour the dressing into each mason jar and then layer in the tomatoes, mozzarella, pasta, and spinach. Place the lid tightly on the jars. Store the spinach pasta salad jars in the refrigerator.
- Shake the salad and pour it into a large bowl when you’re ready to eat.
Read our Mason Jar Salad Guide to learn our top tips and tricks to perfect layered salads in a jar every time + get our top mason jar salad recipes.
Storage tips
After putting the mason jar salads together, store them in the refrigerator for up to five days.
Cooking Tips
- Swap in gluten-free pasta if you have a gluten allergy or sensitivity. You can also use brown rice, quinoa, or other grains.
- Make sure the pasta cools before adding to the other ingredients. Warm pasta will cause the spinach to wilt and can melt the cheese.
- A homemade Italian dressing is another favorite in this spinach pasta salad. You can also use a simple vinaigrette with lemon juice or white wine vinegar, garlic, and olive oil.
- Bulk up the veggies with bell peppers, cucumber, zucchini, red onion, carrots, or any of your favorite vegetables.
- Use feta cheese for a tangy cheese flavor. For another layer of Greek flavor add some olives.
- Sprinkle some fresh Parmesan Cheese in with the pasta for extra Italian flavor.
- Freeze leftover spinach to use in smoothies or soups down the road.
- If you want a sweet bite then add mandarin oranges slices in after the tomato layer.
Spinach Pasta Salad
This Spinach Pasta Salad in Jar is layered with whole grain pasta, fresh mozzarella, tender baby spinach, and a delicious tangy balsamic vinaigrette. Make this spinach salad with pasta on Sunday to enjoy all week for a healthy lunch!
Print Pin RateServings: 5 people
Calories: 382kcal
Equipment
Large pot
Strainer
5 32-ounce mason jars
5 mason jar lids
Ingredients
- 2 cups dry whole grain fusilli pasta
- 10 tablespoons Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette
- 1 quart grape tomatoes kept whole or halved
- 10 ounces fresh mozzarella cut into bite-sized pieces
- 10 cups baby spinach
Instructions
Start by making the pasta. Bring salted water to a boil, add the pasta, and cook according to package directions until al dente. Set the cooked pasta aside to cool before putting the rest of the salad together.
While waiting for the pasta to cool, prepare the homemade balsamic dressing.
Put together the mason jar salads. Pour the dressing into each mason jar and then layer in the tomatoes, mozzarella, pasta, and spinach.
Place the lid tightly on the jars. Store the spinach pasta salad jars in the refrigerator.
Shake the salad and pour it into a large bowl when you’re ready to eat.
Notes
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 382kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: twenty twog | Fat: twenty twog | Fiber: 6g
Did you make this recipe?
This is the best Spinach Pasta Salad recipe! And it’s layered into a jar for you to enjoy all week. Did you make it yet? If so, I’d love for you to rate this recipe and leave a comment below. We all learn from each other’s experiences. Also, it would be awesome if you could share a picture on Instagram and tag it #organizeyourselfskinny. I can’t wait to see it.
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