Bow Tie Pasta Salad with Roasted Tomatoes

Looking for an easy crowd-pleasing pasta salad? This Bow Tie Pasta Salad is packed with flavor from roasted grape tomatoes, sherry cooking wine, and goat cheese.

Plus, the fresh spinach and crunchy walnuts add crisp textural elements for an overall amazing bite.

It’s versatility, relative ease, and sheer abundance are only half the reasons I love this vegetarian pasta recipe—the real magic lies in its complex flavor!

And to take this recipe up another notch, sub out the roasted tomatoes for these Confit Grape Tomatoes. Hint” You can use the olive oil from that tomato confit in this recipe as well!

As a busy mom who appreciates gourmet food, I love an easy and versatile dish like this that can be made ahead of time, enjoyed hot or cold, and is full of deep flavors!

Bow Tie Pasta Salad Ingredients

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Here’s everything you need:

• Bow tie pasta. Aka Farfalle. This is my favorite pasta shape for this recipe, but truly any short pasta will work.
• Grape tomatoes. Or cherry tomatoes! Cherry tomatoes are slightly sweeter, but grape tomatoes have a longer shelf life and are more readily available and easier to find.
• Garlic.
• Olive oil, salt & pepper. T
• Spinach. Baby or regular; you’ll be chopping it up. For freshness and color.
• Sherry cooking wine.
• Goat cheese. You can use plain, honey, or even herbed goat cheese.
• Walnuts. Or almonds, pecans, or macadamia nuts for a little crunch. Shelled and unsalted preferred.

Sherry Bow Tie Pasta Tips and Tricks

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How to Mince Garlic for Pasta Salad

Using fresh minced garlic goes a long way in this bow tie pasta salad recipe. In order to mince your fresh garlic, you have to peel it first.

My go-to technique for peeling the outer layer off the garlic is by crushing it first. Simply place your individual garlic cloves on your cutting board and use the flat end of your knife to push down on the garlic until you hear it crunch.

This just cracks open the outer layer, making it much easier for you to peel it back. Once you’ve completely peeled your garlic, you can then easily mince it with a sharp knife.

How to Roast Grape Tomatoes

If necessary. rinse and dry your grape tomatoes. You can do this ahead of time or you can rinse and pat them dry with a clean kitchen towel.

Use a sharp knife to slice your grape tomatoes in half lengthwise. If you don’t have a specific tomato knife, you may find it easier to use a serrated knife. Or you can use the tip of the knife to pierce the skin of the tomato, making it easier to slice it.

Once you’ve sliced your tomatoes in half, add them to a baking sheet with olive oil, salt, pepper, and your freshly minced garlic.

Use clean hands to toss the grape tomatoes in the oil and seasonings, ensuring they are completely coated. Then, roast them at 420°F for about 10 minutes, until their skin starts to wrinkle and the juice starts to burst.

Don’t Overcook Your Pasta

Follow the directions on the box to cook the pasta al dente, and make sure to time yourself! We want it to lend the perfect texture in contrast to the silky goat cheese and soft roasted tomatoes.

Especially if you’re enjoying this dish cold, you’ll be glad you got that al dente bite.

Work Quickly, While the Pasta is Still Hot

After cooking and draining your pasta, add it to a large salad bowl or serving bowl. Work quickly to add the sherry cooking wine and the chopped spinach, while the pasta is still hot.

Pro tip: Tossing the pasta in the sherry and the spinach while it’s still hot will ensure that the pasta does not stick together as it cools and dries, and will slightly wilt the spinach from the residual heat of the pasta.

If your grape tomatoes are ready, you can add them right away, too. If they’re not, that’s okay! Just make sure to get the sherry cooking wine and spinach in the mix right away.

Add Your Goat Cheese and Nuts Last

Goat cheese packs a lot of punch with its unique flavor, and it complements the sherry in this so well. It’s a little different from other cheeses in that it doesn’t melt the same.

I just use my hands to crumble it into smaller dollops and add it to the pasta. That way you get a little bit of its explosive flavor in every bite.

Add this point, add the chopped walnuts, too. Toss it all together so everything is well-combined.

Storing Leftover Bow Tie Pasta Salad

In the refrigerator in an airtight container, leftover pasta salad with bow tie pasta will last for about 3-5 days. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months.

Leftovers are best enjoyed cold. If frozen, thaw in the refrigerator overnight before digging in.