This Spinach Pasta Salad in a Jar is layered with whole grain pasta, fresh mozzarella, tender baby spinach, and a delicious tangy balsamic vinaigrette. Make this spinach salad with pasta on Sunday to enjoy all week for a healthy lunch!
When it comes to easy healthy work lunches, mason jar salads are at the top of the list. They are simple to prepare, and you don’t need to worry about lunches all week.
This Protein Power Mason Jar Salad, Detox Salad in a Jar, and this Copycat Ancient Grains Core Life Salad are just a few of my favorites! And now I can add this Spinach Pasta Salad recipe into the rotation.
Reasons you’ll love this recipe.
- Easy to prepare. Once you cook the pasta and make the dressing, the salad comes together quickly.
- Satisfying. Whole grain pasta, high protein fresh mozzarella, and fiber-rich veggies will keep you full and happy all afternoon.
- Delicious. You’ll look forward to eating this salad all day!
- Make-ahead. Layer the ingredients in a mason jar on Sunday to enjoy all week for lunch.
Ingredients
- Whole grain pasta. I like to use fusilli pasta because it hugs the dressing perfectly, but any short pasta will work.
- Balsamic vinaigrette. I love using Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette in this spinach salad with pasta; you can’t beat the flavor. But, in a pinch, you can use a high-quality store-bought balsamic dressing.
- Grape tomatoes. Any small tomato will work in this salad, and I like to cut them in half to soak up the dressing and make it easier to eat.
- Fresh mozzarella. My favorite flavor combo is fresh mozzarella, tomato, and balsamic dressing. Adding pasta and spinach creates a complete meal.
- Baby spinach. I prefer baby spinach leaves over regular spinach because it is delicate enough for salad, milder in flavor, but still offers a lot of nutritional value including vitamin C. It’s also available, cleaned, and ready to use.
Supplies
- 32-ounce mason jars
- Mason jar lids
How to Make Spinach Pasta Salad in a Jar
In these instructions, I will show you how to layer the spinach pasta salad ingredients into a mason jar. If you prefer to make a big salad for a party, serve a group of friends, or for a side dish, combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl.
- Start by making the pasta. Bring salted water to a boil, add the pasta, and cook according to package directions until al dente. Set the cooked pasta aside to cool before putting the rest of the salad together.
- While waiting for the pasta to cool, prepare the homemade balsamic dressing.
- Put together the mason jar salads. Pour the dressing into each mason jar and then layer in the tomatoes, mozzarella, pasta, and spinach. Place the lid tightly on the jars. Store the spinach pasta salad jars in the refrigerator.
- Shake the salad and pour it into a large bowl when you’re ready to eat.
Read our Mason Jar Salad Guide to learn our top tips and tricks to perfect layered salads in a jar every time + get our top mason jar salad recipes.
Storage tips
After putting the mason jar salads together, store them in the refrigerator for up to five days.
Cooking Tips
- Swap in gluten-free pasta if you have a gluten allergy or sensitivity. You can also use brown rice, quinoa, or other grains.
- Make sure the pasta cools before adding to the other ingredients. Warm pasta will cause the spinach to wilt and can melt the cheese.
- A homemade Italian dressing is another favorite in this spinach pasta salad. You can also use a simple vinaigrette with lemon juice or white wine vinegar, garlic, and olive oil.
- Bulk up the veggies with bell peppers, cucumber, zucchini, red onion, carrots, or any of your favorite vegetables.
- Use feta cheese for a tangy cheese flavor. For another layer of Greek flavor add some olives.
- Sprinkle some fresh Parmesan Cheese in with the pasta for extra Italian flavor.
- Freeze leftover spinach to use in smoothies or soups down the road.
- If you want a sweet bite then add mandarin oranges slices in after the tomato layer.
Other healthy salad in a jar recipes
- Steak Salad in a Jar
- Spicy Thai Salad in a Jar
- Cobb Salad in a Jar
- Southwest Chicken Salad in a Jar
- Healthy Taco Salad in a Jar
See all of our delicious mason jar salad recipes.
Spinach Pasta Salad
Equipment
- Large pot
- Strainer
- 5 32-ounce mason jars
- 5 mason jar lids
Ingredients
- 2 cups dry whole grain fusilli pasta
- 10 tablespoons Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette
- 1 quart grape tomatoes kept whole or halved
- 10 ounces fresh mozzarella cut into bite-sized pieces
- 10 cups baby spinach
Instructions
- Start by making the pasta. Bring salted water to a boil, add the pasta, and cook according to package directions until al dente. Set the cooked pasta aside to cool before putting the rest of the salad together.
- While waiting for the pasta to cool, prepare the homemade balsamic dressing.
- Put together the mason jar salads. Pour the dressing into each mason jar and then layer in the tomatoes, mozzarella, pasta, and spinach.
- Place the lid tightly on the jars. Store the spinach pasta salad jars in the refrigerator.
- Shake the salad and pour it into a large bowl when you're ready to eat.
Notes
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
This is the best Spinach Pasta Salad recipe! And it’s layered into a jar for you to enjoy all week. Did you make it yet? If so, I’d love for you to rate this recipe and leave a comment below. We all learn from each other’s experiences. Also, it would be awesome if you could share a picture on Instagram and tag it #organizeyourselfskinny. I can’t wait to see it.
Linda says
Salad looks delicious. There isn’t enough information to create the food in my WW app. Need sodium, sugar, saturated fats. Would you consider including?
Ika says
Hi, i really want to do this but I have one wuestion, will the spinach be soggy inside the mason jar?thank you anyway.
Tammy S says
These say 5 servings. If you are taking to lunch, how are you cutting back to one serving or not eating the same for 5 days.
Molly says
Are they freezable?
Tammy Kresge says
no mason jar salads are not freezable.
Chris Fox says
If you make these up on a Sunday how many days are the good for?
Bridget says
Everyone of her mason jar salads say 5-7 days.
Mechale brewer says
That’s a lot of protein per serving. Are you sure that’s correct?
Tammy says
Pretty sure but I will double check. I use My Fitness Pal to calculate.
Gillian says
what if you want to add mushrooms how would you go about doing that? Are mushrooms hardy enough to sit in the dressing? would it be best if you cooked them before you put them in a jar?
thank you
Gillian
Meagan Brown says
Great idea! Definitely something I will be trying. I’ve always hated how my lettuce gets soggy from the dressing and I hate carrying an extra little container of dressing to add later so thanks for the idea!!!!
Cindi says
You could add grilled cubed chicken to this and it would be even better!!
Jennie says
So you are just closing the lids tightly, not vacuum sealing them??
Karol Westbrook says
I’ve been enjoying these so much! Here is what I am doing about the transporting a bowl dilemma. My boys love to eat salads for lunch but are not about to take a mason jar and bowl to school! So, I make their salads up ahead of time in jars without dressing. I go ahead and put dressing in 2oz. solo containers with lids that I get at a restaurant supply store. All I have to do in the mornings is pour the salad out of a jar into a 3 1/8 cup glad ware container, tuck the dressing container into the salad, and place the lid on top. Even if the dressing leaks, which it never does, it would only get on the salad. Of course croutons, ramen noodles, tortilla strips, etc. are already in baggies. Hope these ideas will help, and I love how you posted this as a recipe, giving exact quantities for a week’s worth of salads. Keep ’em coming!
Shannon says
This is going to be a stupid question, but you don’t shake them up until you’re ready to eat them, right? Just wondering how the mozzarella marinated in the dressing??
Thanks!
Bill Sferro says
I remove my jar from fridge and turn it upside down and let it rest in this position 5 minutes or so. It mixes very nicely and when I plate it I do not have to stir or mix it so much.