This Fall Pasta Salad is loaded with apples, cranberries, pecans, feta, and the most amazing poppy seed dressing. It’s been a reader favorite for years, and for good reason!
Author’s Notes
My Go-To Fall Pasta Salad
By the time September hits, I am making soup constantly! It’s my absolute favorite Fall dinner. That said, I’m always wanting something fresh and crunchy to serve alongside it and so that is where this salad comes in!
I created it with all my favorite fall flavors in one bowl: crisp apples, sweet cranberries, toasted pecans, feta, and a tangy poppy seed dressing. It’s fresh enough to balance out a big pot of soup, but still feels so perfect for fall.
I look forward to making this one a few times every fall, and it’s such a good side to bring to get-togethers. This is always a huge hit wherever I take it!
Featured Comment
“Making this salad for Thanksgiving for the 3rd straight year! Thought it was time to thank you for sharing it. It’s a crowd pleaser!”
– Carie
Fall Pasta Salad Ingredients
| Ingredient | Let’s Chat About It |
|---|---|
| Pasta & spinach | Use a small pasta shape & make sure it’s completely cooled before tossing with the spinach. |
| Apple & celery | I love the tartness Granny Smith adds to this salad, but Honeycrisp or Fuji work great too. |
| Mandarin oranges & dried cranberries | Drain canned oranges really well. Peeled clementines also work great in this Fall pasta salad. |
| Pecans & feta | Toast the pecans for extra flavor or use store-bought honey roasted pecans. |
| Poppy seed dressing | Shake everything together in a jar until well combined. Don’t dress this salad until you’re ready to eat! |
Variations
Make This Fall Pasta Salad Your Own!
- Add a perfectly ripe diced avocado.
- Make it more of a meal with diced chicken or thinly sliced steak.
- Swap the dried cranberries for dried tart cherries.
Chelsea’s Tips
Recipe Tips
- Salt the pasta water well: It’s your best chance to season the pasta itself.
- Dry ingredients well: Extra moisture can water down the dressing.
- Chop everything evenly: Cut the ingredients into smaller, similar-sized pieces.
Storage
Fall pasta salad is best eaten right away. Once dressed, the spinach wilts, apples brown & pecans lose their crunch.
If making ahead, keep everything separate & cut the apple right before serving. If the dressing thickens in the fridge, let it sit at room temperature for 15–20 minutes, then give it a good shake to re-emulsify.
What To Serve With This Salad:
Appetizers
Life-Changing No-Knead Dinner Rolls
Soups And Stews
Creamy Vegetable Soup
Soups And Stews
Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
Desserts
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Fall Pasta Salad
Video
Equipment
- Wide-mouth Mason Jar or other sealable container
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 cups uncooked pasta small
- 5 ounces fresh baby spinach half a 10-ounce bag, 6 cups
- 3/4 cup thinly sliced celery
- 1 large granny smith apple diced, see note 1
- 1 (15-ounce) can mandarin oranges drained, or 2 clementine oranges (peeled & segmented)
- 3/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1/3 cup coarsely chopped pecans or honey-roasted pecans, see note 2
- Feta cheese optional
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon paprika
- 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 tablespoon poppy seeds
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Cook pasta: Bring 12 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Add 1 tablespoon salt, then add pasta & cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain & rinse under cold water for about 25 seconds. Shake off excess water, then toss with a few tablespoons of the prepared dressing (see next step). Refrigerate until completely chilled.
- While the pasta cooks, add all dressing ingredients to a mason jar. Season to taste (I add 1/4 tsp each salt & pepper). Seal tightly & shake vigorously until well combined.
- In a very large bowl, toss the completely cooled pasta with the spinach. Add celery, apple, oranges, dried cranberries & pecans. Drizzle dressing over only the portion you plan to eat right away & toss to combine. Add feta to taste & enjoy immediately.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Cosmic Crisp apples don’t turn brown. I can slice one and it keeps in the fridge for days.
Awesome! Thanks for sharing!
I made it with steak. AMAZING!!
Delish! Thanks Cathy!
Everything I could eat this every day , but I might use gluten free pasta . Love Poppy seed dressing..
Yay! Enjoy!
Made this exactly as written and it was delicious!! The perfect fall side dish!! Thank you!
I’m so thrilled to hear this! Thanks Carole!
Looks great! How much feta would you add?
I’d say anywhere from 1/3 to 1/2 cup. But if you love feta, you really can’t add too much!
This salad was delicious and beautiful! I can’t recall my husband raving about a salad in a long time! We will be having this again! Pairing with grilled salmon.
So thrilled to hear this! Thanks Barbara! 🙂
My young grandchildren love salads and I’m so excited to bring this to our family dinners. I know they will love it.
I am so excited for them to try! 🙂
Very good! I substituted crunchy cooked wheatberries for pasta. Added cooked chicken one day and grilled salmon another day to leftovers for lunches
Delish! So glad you enjoyed! Thanks Noreen! 🙂
Would love to try this recipe
Hope you love it!
Delicious! Wasn’t sure about the celery, but it added great crunch. Couple of changes because of tastes: goat cheese instead of feta, honey instead of white sugar in dressing. Used radiatore for pasta. Great advice to not mix everything. Lots leftover which will be our next dinner w/ grilled chicken on top. Great recipe & tips!
Yay! I’m so glad you enjoyed! Thanks for the tips on subs! 🙂