Summer Pasta Salad with Peaches, Spinach, Tomatoes, and Mozzarella Cheese

Summer Pasta Salad with Peaches, Spinach, Tomatoes, and Mozzarella Cheese is a light and fresh salad that combines sweet and savory flavors. It's a perfect side dish or appetizer to make for a crowd or share with your family. Bring it to Summer picnics, potlucks, and other events. This recipe also features crispy Proscuitto and easy homemade balsamic honey mustard dressing.

Course Salad

Cuisine American, Mediterranean

Keyword best summer pasta salad, peach pasta salad, summer pasta salad

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 10

Total Time 30

Servings people

Calories 548kcal

Author Julia

Ingredients

Ingredients you need to cook

8 oz fusilli spiral pasta or use rotini, farfalle (bow-tie), penne, or rigatoni
3 oz Prosciutto

Salad Dressing

½ cup extra virgin olive oil
⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
½ whole lemon - juice freshly squeezed
2 tablespoons honey

Fresh Salad Ingredients

2 yellow peaches medium size
5 oz red cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes
5 oz yellow cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes
8 oz fresh Mozzarella cheese (pearls - small balls)
5 oz spinach
chives or green onions, chopped, for garnish

Instructions

Cook pasta

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add pasta and cook pasta al dente according to the package instructions. While the pasta is cooking, proceed with the rest of the recipe.
When the pasta is done, drain. Keep the drained pasta in the same pot where you cooked it.

Cook Prosciutto

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spread Prosciutto in single layer on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
Toast for about 10 minutes or more until crispy. Remove from oven.

Make salad dressing

While the pasta is cooking, combine all salad dressing ingredients in a mason jar. Whisk well with a spoon, until emulsified.

Salad assembly

Wash, core, and slice yellow peaches.
Slice each cherry (or grape) tomato in half.
In a pot where you cooked the pasta, combine warm, cooked, and drained pasta together with the salad dressing. Mix well.
Add sliced peaches, cherry tomatoes, Mozzarella cheese, spinach, and crispy Prosciutto. Toss to combine.
Note: If you like your pasta salad a bit warm, reheat gently and briefly without adding spinach first. Add spinach off heat to the salad right before serving.
When serving, top with chopped chives or green onions.

Notes

Peaches. Wash peaches really well in running warm water to get rid of any dirt or debris.
Serve warm or cold? This salad can be served either warm or cold. I prefer to serve it warm. Briefly and gently reheat it in a saucepan on the stovetop. In this case, add spinach off heat, so that it doesn't wilt too much.

Nutrition