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I love making this mayo-less summer pasta salad with arugula, spinach, sun dried tomatoes, capers, fresh shaved Parmesan cheese and a splash of balsamic and oil.
Summer Pasta Salad with Baby Greens
It’s great for lunch or dinner, and has a healthy serving of baby greens. In the summer, when tomatoes are at their sweetest, I replace the sun dried tomatoes with fresh tomatoes from my garden.
I usually have this for dinner on those warmer nights when I want a meatless meal or just something light, and because it has pasta in it, I feel full and satisfied after I eat it. The portions are pretty large for under 200 calories. This also makes a great side dish if you reduce the portions when you’re grilling up some burgers or chicken.
More Pasta Salad Recipes You’ll Love:
- Greek Pasta Salad
- Orzo Pasta Salad with Grilled Veggies
- Warm Pasta Salad with Corn and Zucchini
- Lobster Roll Pasta Salad
- Italian Shrimp Tortellini Pasta Salad
Summer Pasta Salad with Baby Greens
I love making this mayo-less summer pasta salad with arugula, spinach, sun dried tomatoes, capers, fresh shaved Parmesan cheese and a splash of balsamic and oil.
Yield: 4 Servings
Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups
Ingredients
- 3 oz about 4 cups baby arugula and baby spinach mix
- 5 oz gluten-free or wheat pasta
- 1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes, sliced thin
- 2 tbsp capers, drained
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- salt and fresh pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp freshly shaved Parmigiano Reggiano
Instructions
- Boil pasta in salted water according to package directions. When done, drain and rinse under cold water.
- In a large bowl, combine the pasta, baby greens, sun dried tomatoes, capers, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Toss well then just before serving top with fresh shaved parmesan.
Last Step:
Please leave a rating and comment letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business to thrive and continue providing free, high-quality recipes for you.Nutrition
Serving: 1 1/2 cups, Calories: 169 kcal, Carbohydrates: 29.5 g, Protein: 6 g, Fat: 5 g, Saturated Fat: 1 g, Cholesterol: 2 mg, Sodium: 271 mg, Fiber: 4 g, Sugar: 4 g
Categories:
Makes about 6 cups.
I have been making this salad for 10 years! Thank you Gina for giving us a wonderful mayo free pasta salad to serve at summer BBQ’s!
An I stand favorite! The sun dried tomatoes really tie the whole thing together. Excellent side salad we paired with grilled portobello caps for a meatless meal.
I thought it might be too strong with the balsamic vinegar, but it turned out great! Excited to eat the rest leftover tomorrow!
1/2 recipe? Can you clarify? Cut the recipe in half so that you have half the number of servings? Or eat half of the prepared dish so in this case that would equal two servings?
I love this salad! So easy to prepare..
Honestly, I didn’t have high hopes for this because it looked so simple. But I had all the ingredients already and needed a last minute recipe for a cookout, and I’m so impressed!! Really good, I skipped the capers because I didn’t have them and it was delicious.
This is so yummy AND quick and easy for lunch.
Hi Gina! Just wanted to let you know how much we love this recipe. It has become a go to for my boyfriend and I all year round! We’ve found with can prep it all earlier in the day then add the dressing right before serving…super easy for when we get home late on a weeknight! Thanks!
Hi Gina,
I’ve been using your site for over a year and it’s awesome! Everything I’ve ever made has been great! I’m starting ww this week so I’m counting everything. A quick question…5oz of pasta? Is that cooked or uncooked? Thanks in advance!
This just got 5 stars in my recipe app! Really delicious and seems fancier than for how simple it is to make (don’t tell the guests at the 4th of July party I brought this to). Used fresh cherry tomatoes that I over roasted first instead of the sun dried. Because the dressing is light, I did add the greens I bit ahead of time and they held up for several hours. Will be a new go-to for lunch and summer BBQs.
I’d like to bring this to a 4th of July party. I’m assuming I should wait till we serve to add the lettuce so that it doesn’t wilt. Thoughts?
I’d like to bring this to a 4th of July party. I’m assuming I should wait till we serve to add the lettuce. Thoughts?
I make this salad all the time and my friends and family love it! So light and healthy and it’s great leftovers! Just add some of the arugula spinach mix when you serve it so it stays crisp.
Did you use sun dried tomatoes packed in oil?
I made this for a pot luck today and everyone loved it. I nixed the capers bc I'm just not a fan, but I added a handful of fresh chopped basil and a bit of minced red onion. It was amazing! Thank you!
I make this all the time! Everyone in my family loves it including my kids. Yum yum!
anyone know a replacement for capers?
It says on the recipe 3 oz is about 4 cups for the arugula but that is actually less than 1 cup?
Is there something I could add instead of capers? Thanks
Can't wait to try this tonight! I know we'll have leftovers, so I'm wondering if it would be a good idea to only put the dressing on the part we're eating tonight and leave the rest dry? Would love thoughts from those of you who might have already made it! Thanks!
Great recipe. My mum loved it so much she made it for friends who are now making it for friends. I used regular pasta and added extra greens, tomatoes and capers.
I made this for dinner last night, and it was amazing! I used feta instead of parm, cause that's what I had on hand, it was yummy with that, but I'm excited to make it again and try it with parm. Even my four and two year old ate second helpings of it. Thanks so much for sharing! And I love how fast it came together, I was running late getting home from a doctor appointment and still was able to have dinner on the table super fast.
This recipe is so good! I added a squeeze of fresh lemon juice on top right before I shaved the parm on. It is over-the-top tasty! I served this alongside a nice piece of grilled salmon, also fresh squeeze lemon and a sprinkling of capers on top it as well! I think this is my new fave!
Thanks so much for sharing!
Yum! I just made this tonight and it is absolutely delicious! I don't know how you do it but the different flavors together make your taste buds sing. Thanks for another great recipe!
I couldn't get baby greens because they were too expensive, so I just made this on its own. SO good! Too bad sun-dried tomatoes are so expensive or I'd make this more often.
Do you have a recommendation for a EVOO that you really like. I am having a hard time finding one that I like…I probably buy ones that are too cheap.
Do you have a recommendation for a EVOO that you really like. I am having a hard time finding one that I like…I probably buy ones that are too cheap.
I needed a quick side for steak that wouldn't use the oven and this was PERFECT! I figured it would be good but I was surprised at how much I loved it! Even my picky green-hating Dad and boyfriend loved it!!
quick, healthy, delicious and fairly cheap (once you have everything)-Thanks!!!
And I have fresh arugula ready to harvest in my garden, perfect timing! Can't wait to try this!
I have made this FOUR times now and I am IN LOVE! It is now a staple for the weekly summer menu! Thanks! 🙂
This was really yummy and great for a summer lunch! I love your site.
I made this tonight with farfalle pasta (instead of rotini) and served it with broiled salmon….it was fantastic. My husband and I both loved it as did my two year old!
Any suggestions for an alternative to the sun dried tomatoes?
I made this salad for my parents and I, and we all loved it! This may become my go-to for vegetarian nights c:
I just made this for lunch tomorrow but I'm excited to try it! I left out the capers though because I'm not a big fan of them and I've added some dried oregano and basil to the oil and vinegar and am letting them sit in a little container overnight for a little extra oomph 🙂
making this tonight, this will fill me up but the finacee he can make himself a burger and will call it a meal 🙂
This sounds absolutely delicious!
Delicious! Really light, but great flavors. A great dish when it's hot outside.
Made this for dinner tonight and it was fantastic!! Even my hubby loved it. I subbed in fresh tomatoes and served with broiled swai fillets. Yum!!
Just made this an it is fantastic!! I had never had arugula before and am sort of on the fence about capers, but made the recipe just as posted and I love it. Going to have some more for dinner with a bit of grilled chicken added to it!
Gina, this looks great! Do you think it would be good with cooked spinach instead of raw arugla and spinach?
This is such a great Salad. I made it today and it's so incredibly tasty! I am gluten free so I used a corn pasta that worked out really well. This recipe is a keeper. Thank you so much! For my husband I may make it next time with chicken too and call it a meal!
This pasta is just packed with amazing flavours!
This is perfect for me, as I am that rare breed that hates mayo, and thus despise potato salad, egg salad and macaroni salad! They give the word salad a bad name! Thanks 🙂
This is perfect for me, as I am that rare breed that hates mayo, and thus despise potato salad, egg salad and macaroni salad! They give the word salad a bad name! Thanks 🙂
Yum this looks so good! Now bookmarking the recipe to try out soon. Thanks for sharing <3 xx
Wow, those sun dried tomatoes make this salad look really delicious. I've got to try this one out!
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It looks so good! Thank you for the recipe!
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Looks delicious and as always I can't wait to try but got to have the money to buy the stuff. Thanks for sharing.
Sounds yummy! As the mom of a 6 month old, I'm always looking for easy healthy meals for myself since the husband works 2nd shift. This sounds like it'll fit the bill quite nicely!
What a lovely salad. And only 5 points? Can't wait to try this one!
Pinning this!!! Looks so good!
Lovely pasta for summer!! Yummy use of balsamic and sun dried tomatoes 🙂
Lovely pasta salad for summer entertaining! It looks so scrumptious and easy!
I love this salad, I made it last summer and it was perfect for lunch.
Perfect summertime meal! Especially with fresh cherry tomatoes!
OOO. Arugula and sundried toamtoes- one of my favorite summer flavor combos! This makes me long for iced tea and the grill!
Is the 5oz of pasta used cooked or uncooked?
I mean in the calculation. Cooked verus uncooked in a calculation makes a difference
uncooked
Beautiful! I love pasta salads 🙂
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Una pasta davvero invitante, fresca e leggera come piace a me!!!
Mayo-less pasta salads make up a good portion of my go-to summertime meals. The punch of flavor from the sun-dried tomatoes and Parm would make this a great one to add to the list.
Hi Gina! Would you use sun-dried tomatoes in a jar or in a bag? I'm thinking either way…
I buy mine in a container or bag, it's usually ready to eat. Not the one that is packed in oil.
Gina, did anyone ever respond to you about what a CSA is? The acronym stands for Community Supported Agriculture and is basically a weekly installment of fresh produce from a farm local to your area! From my experience, I've found that you sign up by season (I'm currently admist the "summer" season which goes from early May to just after Thanksgiving) and there are two options for the size of your produce shipment. You should definitely look into it!
In other news, thank you so much for all the great recipes and inspiration!
I'm on a 2 yr wait list!
This recipe is so perfect! It's light and summery but it has so much flavor! Love it-thank you for all your awesome recipes. 🙂
Just made this with dinner tonight. Added grape tomatoes as you suggested. So yum!!! Thanks!
Gina, this looks delicious but out of my own ignorance what exactly is a caper? Is it something I could leave out or substitute with something else? I'm a huge fan of the site, keep the veggie recipes coming! : )
Capers are tiny, sour berries. In jars. Italian aisle.
Beautiful! So happy to find summer salad options that aren't drowning in mayo : )
Just made this today…SO good!! I love your site!!
I love this one too! I fell like this one is a hidden gem amongst all my recipes. 🙂
Could you use in this recipe high fiber pasta? Would it still be the same points?
This was so wonderful and easy, and hearty enough for a main course! It'll definitely be a go-to for me in the future. I used Pecorino Romano instead (since that's what I had in the fridge) and it was delicious. Thanks for this!
Oh yes, this should be eaten at once!
This is a unique and wonderful approach to pasta salad! It was delicious fresh, but don't try to keep leftovers. The arugula wilted and took on a slimy texture I can't handle. Still, I'll make it again!
I LOVEEEE this salad! The arugula really does makes it. So happy you enjoyed it!!
Although I've loved 99.9% of what I've made from your site, I admit that I was skeptical about this one. Boy was I wrong! It was even more delicious than it was easy. I'm glad I waited until I had arugula, though, as it wouldn't have been the same without the bite of the greens.
I'm going to my first WW meeting tonight! I have all the veggies in the world because I run a CSA! I had an illness that packed on 50lbs so time to get back into shape. I have a daughter that is 100 lbs overweight, please pray she goes with me tonight! She loves to cook so hopefully your site will encourage her.
I love arugula- looks fantastic with the pasta!
Beautiful salad for summer! Thank you.
Sure, sliced grape tomatoes are a great addition too.
Can’t Wait To Try. Think I might even add some fresh mushrooms as an extra “filler”.
Looks awesome! As usual can’t wait to try it 🙂
This looks delicious! I’m definitely snagging this recipe to try next week!