Autumn Pasta Salad
Autumn pasta salad is a combination of fresh in-season vegetables, roasted to perfection and added to whole-grain bow-tie pasta then tossed in a butternut squash vinaigrette. Served hot or cold, this entree pasta salad also works well as a side dish for the holidays.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 320kcal
Ingredients
Autumn Pasta Salad
- 8 ounces whole-grain pasta any shape or gluten-free pasta of choice
- 3 cups sweet potatoes cut into equal-sized cubes (skin on or off)
- ½ head cauliflower cut into florets
- 1 head broccoli cut into florets
- 8 ounces Brussels sprouts cut in half
- 8 ounces mushrooms cut in half
- 1 leek sliced into equal-sized bite-sized pieces
- 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons turmeric
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
Butternut squash vinaigrette
- 1 ½ cups roasted butternut squash sub pumpkin, sweet potato, or pumpkin puree
- 1/1/2 cups water if using pumpkin puree, reduce by half
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons dijon mustard
- 2 Tablespoons maple syrup or substitute date syrup
Instructions
Autumn Pasta Salad
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Prepare two baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper.
- On one baking sheet making a single layer of broccoli, mushrooms, and leeks.
- On the second baking sheet, make a single layer of the remaining vegetables, but separate the butternut squash, as it will be needed for the dressing after roasting.
- Sprinkle both pans of vegetables with seasonings.
- Roast the pan containing the mushrooms for 17-20 minutes.
- Roast the pan containing the sweet potatoes for 30 minutes.
- While vegetable roast, prepare the pasta and assemble the other dressing ingredients.
- If eating the fall pasta salad warm, plan for the pasta to finish cooking shortly before the vegetables finish roasting.
- If choosing the cold option, drain the pasta and run through cold water to cool pasta.
- Combine pasta (warm or cold) with roasted vegetables.
Butternut Squash Vingiarette
- Once the butternut squash is finished roasting, separate it from the other vegetables and place it into a blender with the remaining ingredients.
- If using puree instead of roasted fresh squash or pumpkin, reduce the water by one-half.
- Blend until smooth
- Do not dress until ready to serve.
- Toss with dressing and serve.
Notes
- For the best results, dress the fall pasta salad right before serving, either hot or cold.
- Add red pepper flakes for a bit of spice with the sweetness.
- Tofu Feta Cheese tastes great as a topping.
- Vegan Parmesan Cheese also works as a crunchy condiment
- Store leftovers separate from the dressing and dress before eating.
Nutrition
Calories: 320kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Sodium: 166mg | Potassium: 1176mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 14326IU | Vitamin C: 157mg | Calcium: 138mg | Iron: 3mg