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!

Fall Pasta Salad tossed with a flavorful homemade dressing.
chelsea

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!

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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
96 More Reviews
All the ingredients in this recipe prepped out for easy assembly including the spinach, mandarin oranges, dressing, feta, pasta, apples, celery, pecans, and dried cranberries.

Fall Pasta Salad Ingredients

IngredientLet’s Chat About It
Pasta & spinachUse a small pasta shape & make sure it’s completely cooled before tossing with the spinach.
Apple & celeryI love the tartness Granny Smith adds to this salad, but Honeycrisp or Fuji work great too.
Mandarin oranges & dried cranberriesDrain canned oranges really well. Peeled clementines also work great in this Fall pasta salad.
Pecans & fetaToast the pecans for extra flavor or use store-bought honey roasted pecans.
Poppy seed dressingShake everything together in a jar until well combined. Don’t dress this salad until you’re ready to eat!
All the ingredients for this fall pasta salad added into a bowl with dressing drizzled on top.

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:

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4.97 from 29 votes
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Fall Pasta Salad

By Chelsea Lords
This Fall Pasta Salad combines crisp apples, sweet cranberries, crunchy pecans, feta & a tangy poppy seed dressing. It’s a longtime reader favorite for a reason!
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6 servings, as a side

Video

Equipment

  • Wide-mouth Mason Jar or other sealable container
  • Large bowl

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
Dressing
  • 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.
Final step! Please let us know how it was by leaving a review.

Recipe Notes

Note 1: To keep the apple from browning, fill a medium-sized bowl with cold water & stir in 1 teaspoon salt. Add the diced apple & soak for 5–10 minutes. Drain, rinse well with cold water, dry thoroughly & add to the salad.
Note 2: If desired, toast the pecans. Let them cool completely, then coarsely chop before adding to the salad. Alternatively, use honey roasted pecans. To toast pecans: Add pecans to a dry skillet in a single layer over medium heat. Stir frequently for a couple of minutes, or until fragrant. Watch carefully since they can burn quickly.
Storage: This salad is best eaten right away since it gets soggy the longer it sits. If making ahead, keep the ingredients & dressing separate, then toss together just before serving. Add the pecans & feta last.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 375kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Sodium: 152mg | Potassium: 370mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 2559IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Meet Chelsea

Hello, and welcome to Chelsea’s Messy Apron! I’m Chelsea, the recipe developer, food photographer, and writer behind the site. I’m passionate about creating simple, reliable, and delicious recipes that anyone can make.

Thanks for stopping by—I hope you find something delicious to make!

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4.97 from 29 votes (9 ratings without comment)

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96 Comments

  1. Stephanie R says:

    Congratulations Chelsea!!!

    I made this tonight for dinner and the hubs and I loved it! I added a grilled chicken breast and candied the nuts as suggested but otherwise followed the directions. I’m looking forward to the leftovers tomorrow!

    Reply
    1. chelseamessyapron says:

      Thank you so much Stephanie!! Yay! So glad to hear you tried this and enjoyed it! And grilled chicken sounds like the perfect addition 🙂 Thanks for the comment!

      Reply
  2. Jane says:

    I LOVE salads like this 🙂 Salad can get so boring sometimes so it’s really nice changing it up a bit! But enough about the salad 🙂 CONGRATULATIONS!! I hope he brings you endless amounts of joy and love!!!

    Reply
    1. chelseamessyapron says:

      You are so sweet!! Thank you Jane 🙂

      Reply
  3. Kelly // The Pretty Bee: Allergy Friendly Eats says:

    Congratulations on your new son! Such happy news!

    Reply
    1. chelseamessyapron says:

      Thank you so much Kelly!! 🙂

      Reply
  4. Gayle@Pumpkin 'N Spice says:

    Congratulations again, Chelsea! So happy for you and your family! This salad looks absolutely gorgeous! I love the fall flavors….just perfect!

    Reply
    1. chelseamessyapron says:

      You are so sweet, thank you Gayle!! 🙂 xox

      Reply
  5. Rachel @ athletic avocado says:

    Oh my, this salad looks fabulous! I LOVE that array of different flavors!

    Reply
    1. chelseamessyapron says:

      Thank you so much Rachel! 🙂

      Reply
  6. Michele @ Two Raspberries says:

    5 stars
    pinned! this looks absolutely delicious! I definitely need to try this salad! and your pictures are gorgeous! so crisp and clear! are you still using the same 50mm lens ?! I’m in love with these pictures!

    Reply
    1. chelseamessyapron says:

      You are so sweet, thank you Michele! I appreciate your kind compliment!! I actually alternate between 3 different lenses as I shoot (I’m not exactly sure which ones were used for these photos, but most likely my 24-70mm and 50mm) I have the 50 mm, a 100 mm 2.8, and a 24-70 mm 2.8 (<--that's my favorite one!)

      Reply
  7. Kelly says:

    Aaaw, congrats again, Chelsea! I’m so glad to hear Baby Bentley is doing great now and you are all adjusting well to your new little family 🙂 This pasta salad is gorgeous and I love all the flavors! It’s perfect for fall!

    Reply
    1. chelseamessyapron says:

      You are so sweet, thank you Kelly!! 🙂 xox

      Reply
  8. Susan says:

    Hi Bentley! I bet you can’t wait until you can eat this incredible salad! Congratulations!

    Reply
    1. chelseamessyapron says:

      Hahaha!!! I love this comment!! 🙂 Thank you!

      Reply
  9. Mira says:

    This salad looks perfect! Love all the ingredients and the dressing sounds amazing! Pinning!

    Reply
    1. chelseamessyapron says:

      Thank you so much Mira!! 🙂

      Reply
  10. Kristi @ My SF Kitchen says:

    I can’t get over how gorgeous this salad is! Great photos!

    Reply
    1. chelseamessyapron says:

      You are so kind! Thank you Kristi 🙂

      Reply