Spring Pasta Salad with Arugula and Strawberries
This pasta salad makes use of seasonal strawberries and sharp blue cheese, making pasta a supporting ingredient in this easy recipe where strawberries take the lead.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- Fine sea salt, to taste
- 12 oz Farfalle pasta
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese, plus more for serving
- 4 cups mixed fresh arugula and/or baby spinach can add more, if desired
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 cups strawberries, hulled and quartered
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Generously salt the water and add the pasta. Cook until al dente, tender yet firm to the bite, according to the package directions. Briefly rinse the pasta under cool water to stop the cooking and remove some of the starch (see notes). Drain well. Transfer the pasta to a large serving bowl. Add the olive oil and toss well to combine.
- Meanwhile in a small saucepan over high heat, add the balsamic vinegar and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for approximately 15 minutes, or until it is reduced by half and syrupy - don't overcook it though or it will harden like candy upon cooling, you'll want the vinegar to be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon but remain pourable.
- Add the blue cheese and arugula to the pasta, then gently toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and toss again.
- Add the strawberries last and gently toss - too much tossing will stain the pasta pink and compromise the strawberries if they're very ripe. Alternatively, you can use the strawberries as a generous garnish for each serving.
- To serve, drizzle the salad lightly with the balsamic glaze, passing the rest at the table. Garnish with extra blue cheese crumbles.
Notes
One should never rinse pasta if the pasta starches are needed to hold a sauce. However, in the case of a cold pasta salad, the starch can compromise the integrity of the dish by making the salad gummy and thick. A brief rinse to rid the extra starch is not only acceptable, it is professionally recommended as a means to stop the cooking process, prevent the pasta from sticking together, and create a lighter texture and palatable experience.