Fruit Pasta Salad – An Easy Fruity Pasta Recipe

Fruit and pasta probably isn’t the first combination you’d think of when deciding what to have for lunch, and I completely understand if you’re looking at this thinking I’ve finally gone a bit too far! I first tried fruit pasta salad at a Slimming World taster session a few years ago and had exactly the same reservations, but it was actually gorgeous.

It’s particularly nice in summer when you want something cold and refreshing but don’t necessarily fancy an ordinary salad. The pasta makes it more substantial than simply having a bowl of fruit, while the berries and fresh fruit keep it lovely and summery.

The slightly strange bit – and the thing that makes this different from simply chucking fruit into cold pasta – is that you cook the pasta in orange squash rather than plain water. Trust me on this one!

What is fruit pasta salad?

Fruit pasta salad is exactly what it sounds like: cooked, cooled pasta mixed with fruit.

The difference with this recipe is that the pasta itself gets some fruity flavour because it’s cooked in diluted orange squash before being drained and cooled.

You can then add whichever fruits you fancy. I particularly like it with defrosted frozen berries and some fresh fruit, but there’s plenty of room to use whatever you’ve already got.

It sounds odd. I know it sounds odd. But that’s exactly what I thought before I tried it!

How to make fruit pasta salad

You don’t need exact measurements for this because it’s more of a method than a strict recipe.

Choose a normal dried pasta and cook it according to the packet instructions, but instead of cooking it in plain water, add sugar-free orange squash to the cooking water.

I make the squash slightly stronger than I would if I were drinking it so that some of the orange flavour comes through in the pasta.

Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and leave it to cool completely.

When it’s cold, mix it with your chosen fruit and it’s ready to eat.

That’s genuinely all there is to it. There isn’t a dressing to make or a long list of ingredients to buy.

If you’re not particularly confident cooking pasta, my how to cook pasta guide covers all the basics, although obviously that one assumes you’re doing the considerably more normal thing of cooking it in water!

What fruit works well with pasta salad?

Berries are my favourite because they’re easy to mix through the pasta and don’t need much preparation.

I’ve used defrosted frozen berries along with fresh fruit, which is handy because frozen berries mean you can make it without buying several different punnets of fruit.

Blueberries and raspberries work particularly well, but you could experiment with strawberries, grapes, pineapple, melon or whatever else you enjoy.

I’d avoid getting too carried away and adding every fruit you own at once. There comes a point where you’ve stopped making fruit pasta and started making a fruit bowl with some confused pieces of pasta hiding underneath!

Can I use frozen fruit?

Yes. I’ve made this using defrosted frozen berries and they work really well.

Frozen fruit can release more juice as it defrosts, so expect the finished pasta to look slightly different from one made entirely with fresh fruit.

I actually quite like some of the berry juice mixing through everything because it adds more fruity flavour.

Make sure frozen fruit is prepared according to the packet instructions, particularly if the product specifies that it needs cooking before eating.

What pasta is best for fruit pasta salad?

I’d choose a small or medium pasta shape that’s easy to eat cold with the fruit.

Something such as fusilli or farfalle works well because you can get a bit of fruit and pasta together on your fork without too much effort.

I wouldn’t personally use spaghetti. I’m sure it’s technically possible, but chasing blueberries around a bowl with strands of fruity spaghetti isn’t really the relaxing summer lunch I’m aiming for!

Use ordinary dried pasta and cook it according to its packet instructions.

Why cook the pasta in orange squash?

This is the part that makes the recipe work for me.

If you simply cooked pasta in plain water, cooled it and added fruit, you’d essentially have plain cold pasta mixed with berries. Cooking it in diluted orange squash gives the pasta itself a little sweetness and fruit flavour.

I use sugar-free orange squash and make the mixture slightly stronger than I would for drinking.

Different squash brands and flavours vary, so there isn’t a magic ratio you have to use. You’re simply flavouring the cooking water rather than trying to make an incredibly strong orange drink.

Do I rinse the pasta after cooking?

For this particular recipe, I’d simply drain the pasta and leave it to cool rather than washing all that orange flavour away.

Spread it out if necessary so it cools more quickly rather than leaving a huge hot lump of pasta sitting in the colander.

Once it’s properly cool, you can mix in your fruit.

Can I make fruit pasta salad ahead?

You can make the pasta ahead and keep it chilled, then add the fruit when you’re ready to eat it.

In fact, that’s probably what I’d do if I wanted this over a couple of days because different fruits keep differently once they’re chopped or defrosted.

It also means you can change the fruit each time rather than committing yourself to an enormous bowl of exactly the same combination.

How long does fruit pasta salad keep?

Because this contains cooked pasta and prepared fruit, I’d keep it refrigerated rather than leaving it sitting around at room temperature.

How well the finished salad keeps will also depend on the fruit you’ve used. Some berries become very soft once defrosted, while firmer fresh fruits may keep their texture better.

If I were preparing several portions, I’d store the cooked pasta separately and add fresh fruit as I needed it. That way you aren’t relying on one bowl of mixed fruit and pasta staying perfect for days.

Is fruit pasta salad healthy?

It’s made from pasta, fruit and sugar-free squash, so it’s a very simple combination.

Whether it suits you will depend on what else you’re eating and what you’re looking for from the meal. I wouldn’t claim that adding fruit magically turns pasta into a special weight-loss food.

I first discovered it through Slimming World, but these days I’m much less interested in putting foods into strict “good” and “bad” categories. I lost 10 stone while eating pasta, and I’d rather have meals I actually enjoy than spend my life trying to find the lowest-calorie possible version of everything.

If you’re interested in pasta more generally, I’ve written about whether pasta is healthy and how it can fit into a balanced diet.

Is fruit pasta salad suitable for Slimming World?

This is where I originally discovered the idea, at a Slimming World taster session, but I wouldn’t give you an old Syn value or tell you that it’s automatically free on the current plan.

Slimming World changes its plans and terminology over time, and products such as sugar-free squash can vary too.

If you’re following the plan now, check the particular pasta, squash and fruit you’re using against the current Slimming World information.

For more ideas, my Slimming World pasta recipes page has plenty of other pasta dishes to try.

Is this a dessert or a pasta salad?

I think it can be either!

I originally had it as something you’d take to a taster session or buffet, and it works really well as part of a summer spread.

You could have a small bowl as something sweet, or make a more substantial portion for lunch.

It’s one of those slightly strange recipes that doesn’t fit neatly into a box, which is probably part of the reason I like it.

Can I take fruit pasta salad on a picnic?

Yes, but because it contains cooked pasta and prepared fruit it needs to be kept properly chilled.

Use a cool bag with ice or frozen gel packs rather than letting it spend hours warming up in the car or sitting in the sunshine.

I’d also pack it in a well-sealed container. Fruity pasta leaking around the bottom of a picnic bag is probably not the summer memory you’re hoping to create!

Fruit pasta salad FAQs

Does fruit really go with pasta?

It sounds unusual, but yes. The important bit is that the pasta is flavoured with orange squash rather than being completely plain.

I was sceptical before I first tried it too!

Can I use orange juice instead of squash?

I haven’t tested the recipe by cooking the pasta in orange juice, so I wouldn’t recommend swapping it directly and assuming you’ll get the same result.

The method I’ve used is dried pasta cooked in water flavoured with sugar-free orange squash.

Can I use a different flavour of squash?

I’ve made it with orange squash, which works really well with berries and other fruit. You could experiment with another flavour, but obviously that would change the taste of the finished pasta.

Can I use gluten-free pasta?

You could try this with gluten-free pasta, but different types behave differently when they’re cooked.

My how to cook gluten-free pasta guide has more advice if that’s what you need, and remember to check that the squash and everything else you’re adding is suitable for your dietary requirements too.

Can I make it without berries?

Absolutely. The fruit isn’t fixed, so use fruits you actually enjoy.

More pasta salad ideas

If you’ve reached this point and decided fruit pasta is perhaps one culinary adventure too far, don’t worry, I’ve got plenty of considerably more conventional pasta salad recipes too!

My Greek pasta salad has feta, olives, tomatoes and cucumber, while my tomato and mozzarella pasta salad is another lovely option for summer. I’ve also got a high protein pasta salad guide if you want ideas for making yours more substantial.

For everything else, head to my main pasta recipes page where you’ll find pasta bakes, sauces, salads and lots of easy dinner ideas.

I still think fruit pasta is one of those things you need to try before deciding it’s completely ridiculous. That’s what I did at that Slimming World taster session, and I’m very glad I gave it a chance!

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