Berry Pasta Salad is the ultimate summer side dish and appetizer! All of your favorite fresh berries are tossed with tender rotini pasta, leafy arugula, crumbed feta cheese and the perfect amount of poppyseed dressing.
Berry Pasta Salad
Berry pasta salad is that salad. You know, the one at the party that no one can stop talking about? It’s the most summery pasta salad you’ll ever make, so it’s ideal for those 4th of July block parties, picnics, and all other fun in the sun occasions. All of your favorite berries (that can be modified to your tastes) are tossed with pasta, feta and arugula in the very best poppyseed dressing. It’s such a simple salad but it really packs a punch when it comes to flavor! The dressing is a little sweet, tangy and speckled with just the right amount of crunchy poppy seeds. There’s a whole lot to love about this pasta salad with berries!
Enjoy more of the very best pasta salad recipes like Buttermilk Pesto Pasta Salad, my favorite Caesar Pasta Salad and Antipasto Pasta Salad.
Can I Make This Berry Pasta Salad Ahead?
Here’s the deal – yes, you can make it ahead of time, but for this one I don’t exactly recommend it. Berry pasta salad is best when served as soon as the cheese, arugula and dressing are all tossed together. The dressing will cause the cheese and arugula to soften once stored. However, it’s still a good salad when enjoyed as leftovers! It just won’t be quite as fresh.
How to Make Berry Pasta Salad
- Prepare the pasta. Boil the pasta according to package instructions. You want it to be al dente so it’s not too soft. Once cooked, drain and set aside to let it fully cool off.
- Toss. Add all of the berries to a large bowl. Toss them together with the dressing. Mix in the cooled pasta. Then, gently fold in the arugula and feta.
- Enjoy! Top off your pasta salad with more feta cheese and poppy seeds and serve immediately.
Storing Berry Pasta Salad
Leftover berry pasta salad will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container. Just note that once everything is tossed with the poppy seed dressing, it will soften the longer it is stored.
Serving Suggestions
Berry pasta salad makes a fabulous appetizer at picnics and summertime potlucks! I also love serving it as a side dish next to something like Chicken Caesar Sandwiches, Classic Tuna Casserole or Egg Salad for lunch. Of course, this pasta salad with berries also makes a pretty satisfying light lunch all by itself, too! The pasta helps keep you nice and full until dinner.
Ingredient Notes for Berry Pasta Salad
- Rotini Pasta – You can use another type of short pasta if you want! Just make sure it’s cooked to al dente, drained well and cooled to room temperature prior to tossing with the other ingredients. Something like bowtie or cavatappi would both work very well.
- Berries – I love using a combination of strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries. You can change this up however you’d like.
- Poppyseed Dressing – While there are plenty of store-bought dressings you can experiment with, I highly recommend making this one yourself! It’s freshly flavored with all natural ingredients and has the best balance of sweet and tangy notes.
- Fresh Arugula – I like to really pack the arugula in there! You can swap this with something like baby spinach if you like, but the leaves will be much bigger on your fork.
- Feta Cheese – You could always swap this with crumbled blue cheese if you’d like! Cubed white cheddar or small balls of mozzarella are also amazing!
Enjoy!
~Nichole
Berry Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 8 Ounces Rotini Pasta
- 2 Cups Sliced Strawberries
- 1 Cup Fresh Raspberries
- 1 Cup Fresh Blackberries
- 1/2 Cup Fresh Blueberries
- 1 Cup Poppyseed Dressing
- 1 Cup Fresh Arugula packed
- 1/2 Cup Crumbled Feta Cheese
Instructions
- Boil the pasta according to the package instructions until al dente.
- Drain and rinse under cold water to cool.
- Toss the strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, and dressing together in a large bowl.
- Toss in the cooled pasta then gently toss in the arugula and feta, just until combined.
- Top with more feta cheese and poppy seeds for garnish if desired before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
