Strawberry Avocado Pasta Salad with Balsamic Glaze Recipe
Mar 21, 2016, Updated Jun 02, 2023
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My avocado pasta salad is a fun twist on a strawberry balsamic salad, with diced avocados, fresh berries, and bow-tie pasta tossed with zesty balsamic glaze. It’s a refreshing and satisfying summer side dish!
Serve up this strawberry avocado pasta salad at your next cookout with more easy sides like creamy avocado dip and corn ribs. You might also love this classic avocado salad without pasta!
This avocado pasta salad recipe is THE summer side dish. She is the moment. She’s packed with a delicious, sweet, tangy mix of juicy summer strawberries, creamy avocado, bow-tie pasta, and fresh greens with a zingy balsamic drizzle. This is a unique spin on your typical strawberry balsamic salad and classic pasta salad that’s hearty, fresh, and full of flavor.
Why You Need to Try This Strawberry Avocado Pasta Salad
- Layers of yummy contrast. Buttery avocado meets juicy fresh strawberries, and the results are *fireworks*. If you’re skeptical about the flavor combination in this pasta salad, don’t be! It’s sweet, savory, and tangy, with freshness from mint and poppy seeds for crunch.
- Quick and easy. Boil your choice of pasta, then pile it over fresh salad greens in a salad bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Drizzle over your balsamic glaze, and voilà. This avocado pasta salad is ready for the BBQ in 25 minutes!
- Take it anywhere. This is a refreshing, satisfying salad that’s perfect for warm-weather gatherings, picnics, potlucks, and light lunches.
What You’ll Need to Make This Recipe
If you’re someone who likes super layered salads, please, make this. And please make this in the world’s largest salad bowl and double it because it needs to be shared at your next summer party!
- Pasta – I chose bow-tie pasta, but I’ve made this salad with rotini, penne, shells, and other types of short-cut pasta with great results. Use whichever pasta you have on hand. You can also swap in gluten-free pasta, whole wheat, etc. You’ll cook the pasta according to the directions on the package.
- Salad Greens – Again, this is very flexible! Good options are romaine, butter lettuce, arugula, or kale. Or, use baby spinach for some strawberry spinach salad vibes. If you’d prefer to skip the greens, that’s fine, too.
- Strawberries – Hulled and sliced in half. Easily hull your strawberries using a sharp knife to remove the green stems. Or, use a sturdy straw and push it through the bottom of the berry, and the stem on top should pop right off.
- Avocados – Make sure to choose ripe avocados that are firm but tender to the touch, and not bruised or mushy. You’ll need to remove the pit, scoop out the flesh, and dice the avocado for the salad.
- Fresh Mint – Chopped. Fresh basil leaves would also go well here.
- Poppy Seeds – I like adding a crunchy component, like poppy seeds, for extra texture. You could also use chia seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds (or pepitas), and nuts, like chopped pecans or walnuts.
- Balsamic Glaze – My favorite store-bought balsamic glaze is from STAR Fine Foods. You can also make your own glaze by reducing balsamic vinegar by half on the stovetop.
- Olive Oil – Again, I love the extra virgin olive oil from STAR.
3 Tips for the Best Pasta Salad
- Season the pasta water. Boil your pasta in salted water (I usually add 2-3 heaping spoonfuls of salt to the water when it’s boiling). It seasons the pasta, for a more flavorful pasta salad.
- Don’t overcook the pasta. Cook the pasta until it’s just al dente. If it’s overcooked, it’ll be mushy.
- Rinse the cooked pasta under cold water. Do this right away as soon as it’s cooked to al dente. This rinses away any excess starch and prevents the pasta from overcooking.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this fresh strawberry avocado pasta salad for lunch or dinner with summer mains like grilled chicken skewers, spicy churrasco steak, and seafood, like shrimp scampi or grilled salmon (I also love these salmon burgers). This pasta salad pairs well with a crisp, dry Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc, or I’ll wash down the meal with a margarita!
What Else Can I Add to This Avocado Pasta Salad?
- Skip the pasta. Want to make a classic strawberry balsamic salad instead? It’s as easy as skipping the pasta and bulking up the green leaves in the recipe.
- Try a different dressing. Substitute the balsamic glaze with a citrus vinaigrette or honey mustard dressing for a different twist. You could also try the lemon poppyseed dressing from my very berry avocado salad.
- Boost the protein. Adding grilled blackened chicken, grilled turkey burgers, or shrimp scampi can turn the salad into a full meal.
- More veggies. You can add additional vegetables like cherry tomatoes or cucumber slices to enhance the freshness.
- More flavor and texture. Adding crumbled feta cheese or toasted nuts can provide extra texture and flavor.
Make Ahead and Storage
- Make-ahead option. This avocado pasta salad is best served right away. However, if you want to prepare the pasta salad in advance, I suggest storing the dressing separately and tossing it with the salad just before serving. It helps prevent the greens from becoming soggy.
- Storing leftovers. This salad lasts in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Keep in mind that the texture of the strawberries will change, and the avocados will brown over time, so enjoy leftovers sooner rather than later!
More Favorite Pasta Salad Recipes
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Strawberry Avocado Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry bow tie pasta, cooked according to the directions on the package
- 4 to 6 cups packed torn salad greens
- 1 pound fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
- 2 avocados, diced
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
- salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 to 2 teaspoons poppy seeds
- ¼ cup Balsamic Glaze
- 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Instructions
- Boil the pasta. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain the pasta and immediately rinse it with cold water to cool it off and stop the pasta from cooking.
- Combine the ingredients. Add the cold pasta to a salad bowl; toss the pasta with salad greens, strawberries, avocado, and fresh mint. Season with salt and pepper.
- Make the glaze. In a small bowl, combine the poppy seeds with the balsamic glaze and extra virgin olive oil; whisk until well incorporated.
- Put it all together. Pour the dressing over the pasta salad and toss it all together until thoroughly combined. Taste and adjust accordingly. Serve.
Notes
- Cook the pasta until al dente for a firm texture.
- Choose ripe avocados for a creamy texture.
- Rinse and dry salad greens thoroughly to keep them fresh.
- Adjust seasoning to taste with salt, pepper, and poppy seeds.
- Generously drizzle balsamic glaze for tangy sweetness.
- Gently toss the ingredients for even distribution.
- Serve the salad immediately for the best flavor and texture.
- Get creative by adding your favorite ingredients or trying different dressings.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
I found a similar balsamic glaze at Trader Joe’s. Very yummy. And I added red onion slices and feta cheese crumbles. So delicious. Thanks for this delicious recipe.
I added extra oil, extra glaze, but it was still bland and sort of ugly once it was stirred. All brown. Was hoping to serve at a bridal shower, but three tasters did not care for the bland flavor. I also added salt and pepper
Made this tonight for dinner…loved it! Made it as written except I used whole wheat bow tie pasta instead of regular and skipped the poppy seeds because I didn’t have them. So good! I’ll add some goat cheese crumbles next time…and maybe even some chilled cooked shrimp because I think it would be fantastic complete meal 🙂 Thanks for the recipe!
What is a good replacement for the balsamic glaze? Not sure it’s available – or called that – in my area.
Thanks,
Vicki
I made my own with balsamic vinegar by simmering it on the stove until reduced to one-half or one-third. Gets syrupy.