Description
A quick and vibrant pasta salad perfect for lunch, meal prep, or light dinner. This healthy feta and cranberry penne salad is tossed with baby arugula, sweet dried cranberries, crumbled feta, and a fresh orange vinaigrette. It’s an easy recipe full of texture, color, and bold flavor—ideal for healthy lunch ideas, light pasta dishes, or meal prep food ideas.
Ingredients
8 oz whole wheat penne pasta
2 cups baby arugula
0.5 cup crumbled feta cheese
0.5 cup dried cranberries
0.25 cup sliced almonds
0.25 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon maple syrup
0.25 teaspoon salt
0.25 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
1. Boil a large pot of salted water and cook the penne pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water. Let cool.
2. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the orange juice, olive oil, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled penne, baby arugula, feta cheese, dried cranberries, and sliced almonds.
4. Drizzle the orange vinaigrette over the salad. Toss gently to combine.
5. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve immediately or chill before serving.
Notes
Make the vinaigrette fresh for best flavor.
Toast the almonds in a dry skillet for more depth.
Chill the pasta completely before tossing if prepping ahead.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Tossed
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 cups
- Calories: 310
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 310mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 37g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 9g
- Cholesterol: 20mg
Keywords: healthy pasta salad, vegetarian lunch, cranberry feta salad, quick salad, easy dinner salad