Fall Harvest Pasta Salad with Creamy Poppyseed Dressing
Rated 4.2 stars by 10 users
Category
Crowd-Pleaser Pasta Salad
Servings
4
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Author:
Three Farm Daughters
Ready for your regular old pasta salads to do a double-take? This toothsome, multi-faceted fall meal is more than just some flimsy side dish.
Roasted broccoli and sweet potato mingle with smoky bacon and cranberries, striking a satisfying bliss-factor balance of salty, sweet and savory.
Each bite reveals a new delight thanks to its maple-glazed pecans, buttery pine nuts and zesty feta cheese - all wrapped up in the creamiest, dreamiest homemade poppyseed dressing ever to hit your tastebuds. You are so welcome.
Ingredients
2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 medium Sweet Potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1 in cubes
2 heads Broccoli, cut into bite-size florets
5 slices Canadian Bacon, roughly chopped (optional)
2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
½ cup Dried Cranberries or Raisins
2 Shallots, finely chopped
- 2 cups Kale, shredded
- ½ cup Maple-Glazed Pecans
- ⅓ cup Pine Nuts, toasted
- ½ cup Feta Cheese, crumbled
- 1 ¼ cups Poppyseed Dressing (homemade recipe below, or store-bought is fine!)
- ¾ cup highest-quality Mayonnaise
- ¼ cup White Wine Vinegar
- ⅓ cup Milk
- 2½ tbsp Poppy Seeds, super fresh
- ¼ cup Extra Fine Sugar
- ½ tsp Dry Mustard
- Pinch Salt
For the Homemade Poppyseed Dressing:
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Arrange the sweet potato cubes, broccoli florets and bacon (if using) on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Season to taste and drizzle with olive oil. Roast for 25-35 minutes until veggies are fork-tender and bacon cooked through.
While the veggies are baking, bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil and cook pasta according to package directions. Drain in a colander and briefly rinse with cool water.
Transfer the cooked pasta to a large bowl. Add the chopped shallots, shredded kale and dried cranberries, then drizzle over the poppyseed dressing (see method below for homemade dressing). Stir until thoroughly combined, then set aside in the fridge.
For the Homemade Poppyseed Dressing:
Combine all ingredients in a screw-top jar and shake until combined. Refrigerate any unused dressing for up to 1 week.
Assemble the Salad:
When the veggies are golden-roasted and caramelized, remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Once cooled to room temperature, gently fold the broccoli, bacon and sweet potato mixture through the pasta. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight (if you can wait that long!)
Just before you're ready to serve, stir half the maple-glazed pecans and pine nuts through the pasta, adding a dash more poppyseed dressing or a splash of milk if the salad looks a bit dry.
To serve, pile into an elegant serving dish and scatter with the remaining pecans and pine nuts. Crumble over the feta cheese and drizzle with a little extra olive oil, then dig in!
