Spinach Salad with Fregola Sarda

This Spinach Salad recipe pairs the nutty flavor of fregola Sarda beautifully with the tart-sweet bursts from the pomegranate arils. Fresh, flavorful and so easy to make.

This festive winter salad makes the perfect accompaniment with grilled chicken or Italian baked codfish. The perfect menu for winter entertaining. 

Jump to:

• Introduction
• Mise en place
• How to make the balsamic vinaigrette
• Instructions
• Tips
• FAQ
• Craving more spinach recipes?
• Recipe inspiration
• Recipe

Introduction

The appealing combination of color and texture in this spinach, pomegranate and fregola salad confirms the quote, “You eat with your eyes first.” 

Fregola originates from the south side of Sardinia (in Italy). Slightly larger in size when compared to Israeli couscous, it contributes both a nutty flavor and a wonderful chewy texture in this spinach salad. 

Once you begin to experiment with this type of pasta, you will find it an ideal ingredient in salads. Here are two other examples:

In this Mediterranean-inspired salad recipe, fregola is combined with lentils, sun-dried tomatoes, and black olives. This healthy fregola salad with lentils can be eaten hot, cold, or at room temperature. If you like the anise-like flavor of fennel and the smokiness of the roasted red pepper, this fregola salad is for you.

Today we will combine this spherical semolina pasta with spinach and pomegranate arils for a healthy and delicious winter salad. 

Mise en place

This spinach salad comes together in no time once all of the ingredients are prepped. Let’s begin with the fregola.

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 cup of fregola.  Stir, reduce the heat and simmer according to package cooking time. The texture we are looking for is al dente, just like any other pasta.

Once the fregola is ready, drain and place in a bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and toss together. Allow to cool down while preparing the rest of the ingredients. 

While waiting for the pasta to cook, mince 2 tablespoons of fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley and coarsely chop 4 ounces of fresh spinach (stemmed and washed). 

Easily remove the pomegranate seeds by strategically cutting the whole fruit into sections. This recipe requires about 1-1½ cups. If more convenient, ready-to-eat pomegranate arils can also be purchased from your local grocery store. 

The last ingredient to prep is the walnuts. Let’s toast them on the stovetop since we only need ½ cup. Once they are done, transfer them to a bowl and allow them to cool off.

How to make the balsamic vinaigrette

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together ¼ cup of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, 1 teaspoon of honey and ½ teaspoon of dry mustard. As always, add salt and pepper to taste. 

Instructions

Once the fregola pasta has cooled off, combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl. More specifically the spinach, parsley, and toasted walnuts. 

Drizzle the salad with a balsamic vinaigrette.

Gentle fold in the pomegranate arils.

Taste for seasonings and serve at room temperature.

Tips

• The addition of toasted walnuts not only adds great texture but also compliments the nuttiness of the fregola.
• If using young and tender spinach leaves, there is no need to chop them. 
• Serve this salad at room temperature.
• Do not overcook the pasta. Taste test the pasta a few minutes before the recommended time. 

FAQ

Craving more spinach recipes?

Available throughout the year, spinach is a great leafy vegetable to consume regularly. If you are trying to increase your spinach intake, try some of these recipes!

• Sauteed Spinach
• Crustless Spinach Quiche
• Homemade Calzones
• Spinach Lasagna
• Spinach Risotto
• White Bean and Spinach Soup

Recipe inspiration

A few years ago, I purchased a cookbook by Diane Henry called Plenty. If you like fresh, whole and unprocessed foods in season, this cookbook is for you. Ms. Henry is truly a wizard at food combinations that create a taste sensation!

One of the first recipes I made from this book was a Barley, Parsley, and Pomegranate Salad recipe. 

As much as I love barley, I love fregola more. I thought it would be interesting to replace the barley with fregola and include a balsamic vinaigrette. Needless to say, if I am sharing this recipe with all of you, it is because this winter salad is a big hit in my family.

Hope you get a chance to try it!

THANKS SO MUCH for following and being part of the She Loves Biscotti community where you will find Simple & Tasty Family-Friendly Recipes with an Italian Twist.

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Ciao for now,

Maria

★★★★★ If you have made this spinach pomegranate salad with fregola, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!

Recipe

This post was originally published on November 11, 2017, and republished on January 23, 2021, with updated content and photos.