Spinach Pasta Salad

New Year's Day 2023. I woke up at 5:30, made Vietnamese coffee, and sat on the back porch in the January cold watching the sky lighten over the smoker compound. This is the year I take my mother to Vietnam. Every other resolution is noise.

I didn't make a big deal of New Year's Eve. Lily and James came over and we ate thit kho and watched the Houston countdown on TV and at midnight I drank a La Croix and James set off a single sparkler in the backyard and Lily said "That's it?" and James said "That's it" and we all went to bed by 12:30. This is how I ring in the new year. Quietly, soberly, with people I love. It's enough. It's more than enough.

The week was about the trip. Mai has shifted from denial to logistics, which is her version of acceptance. She called Tuesday to ask what she should pack. I said comfortable clothes and walking shoes. She said, "Walking shoes? I'm eighty-three." I said, "You walk to the market every week." She said, "That's different." I said, "How?" She didn't answer because she couldn't, which is the only way I ever win an argument with my mother.

Duc, the tour guide, sent a finalized itinerary. Ten days: two days for Mai's old neighborhood in District 3, a day at the War Remnants Museum (which I'm not sure Mai will be ready for but Duc says it's important), a day at the Cu Chi Tunnels, three days eating our way through the street food scene, a visit to the Mekong Delta, and a free day for whatever Mai wants. He also confirmed that Mrs. Thi — the neighbor from the 1970s — is willing to meet us. She's eighty-six and still lives on the same street. I can't think about that meeting without my chest getting tight.

Made bún bò Nam Bộ — a southern Vietnamese cold noodle salad with stir-fried beef, fresh herbs, peanuts, fried shallots, and a tangy fish sauce dressing. It's a lighter dish, the kind of thing you eat in January when you're still recovering from holiday excess and your body is begging for something that isn't braised in a pound of butter. The beef is seared hot and fast — just a minute in a screaming wok — and served over room-temperature noodles with the herbs piled high. The contrast between the hot meat and the cool noodles is the whole point.

Linh called Sunday. We talked about the trip for an hour. She wishes she could come. I said there'll be other trips. She said, "Mai is eighty-three." I said, "I know." We both know. That's why we're going now.

The bún bò Nam Bộ I made that week put me in a particular frame of mind — cool noodles, bright herbs, something unencumbered by richness or heaviness — and it reminded me that the best food for moments like these isn’t the food that comforts by weight, but by clarity. This spinach pasta salad carries that same spirit: fresh greens, a sharp dressing, ingredients that let you think straight. When you’re mentally already halfway across the Pacific, planning the most important trip of your life, you don’t want dinner to demand too much of you.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 10 min | Total Time: 25 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

8 oz rotini or penne pasta
3 cups fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup sliced black olives
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds or pine nuts
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente, about 8–10 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water until completely cooled.
Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, and dried oregano. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Assemble the salad. In a large mixing bowl, combine cooled pasta, spinach, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and black olives. Pour dressing over and toss to coat evenly.
Finish and serve. Top with crumbled feta and toasted sunflower seeds. Serve immediately at room temperature, or refrigerate up to 2 hours before serving. Toss again before plating.

Nutrition (per serving)

Spinach Pasta Salad — The Lighter Side of Waiting