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.
Took this to our family reunion yesterday. Huge hit. Beautiful presentation, healthy and adding the oasta made it creatively different. A real winner!
Ahh i’m so happy to hear this! It’s definitely one of our favorite healthy salads! Thanks Gail! 🙂
Can’t wait to make this salad. Looks delicious.
I hope you love it! 🙂
Forgot to say that I use a tablespoon of orange blossom honey instead of sugar in the dressing
I used your salad for I spiration for a salad, salad.
As with your’s I used baby spinach and cranberries.
Instead of pecans I used chopped cashew nuts.
I used fresh mandarin quarters, skipped the celery and apple but instead used julienned raw beetroot for the crunch ( red or yellow) I rinse and soak the julienned beet in water to get rid of the earthy taste First) I changed the feta to crumbled, mild blue cheese and left out the pasta.
The result is delicious and is a big success with all those who’ve tried it.
Thank you so much for the inspiration.
I made a few changes: instead of sugar I used 1tbsp of orange blossom honey in the dressing.
Sounds delicious! 🙂
Your recipe say to put 1/3 cup pecans in it, but to me the pitcher look like walnuts. So what do I Pit in it?
The pictures are pecans too 🙂 Add pecans! Enjoy!
My 15-year-old daughter trains in classical ballet, so she’s at her dance school upwards of 20 hours each week. This salad sent her leaping over the moon. It’s perfect. Fruits, vegetables, some carbs, healthy fat with the pecan, and beautifully balanced between salty, sour and sweet with just a touch of bitter from the spinach. Thank you for sharing! A ballerina’s dream dinner.
Awe!! I love hearing that! Thank you so much for the comment Julie 🙂
This salad looks so good. I’m trying it tomorrow! ?
I hope you love it! 🙂
Chelsea, I plan to serve this next month for a small lunch gathering and plan to add grilled chicken. My question is – besides a bread, what else should I serve with the salad? Since the salad has so many yummy ingredients, my mind has drawn a blank so thought I would get your suggestions. Thank you.
This was delicious just as written! Highly recommend!
Thanks Sherrie for your review and comment 🙂
The salad looks gorgeous, quick question though, can I replace the celery with something else? Cucumber? Sorry really can’t eat celery! Thanks!
You can just leave it out 🙂 Enjoy!