This Fall Pasta Salad has all the flavors of fall - perfect for a gathering or easy lunch! Roasted Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, crisp apples, fresh thyme, and tender pasta - all topped with creamy goat cheese and a maple dijon dressing. 😊
As a dietitian, I love using seasonal ingredients I can find at the farmer's market and making new recipes out of them. And this easy fall pasta salad recipe is a combo of all my favorite fall flavors! It's great to bring to a friendsgiving or family gathering. Or add shredded chicken and turn it into a healthy lunch.
More Healthy Fall Recipes
- Sheet Pan Gnocchi, Butternut Squash, Brussels, and Chicken Meatballs
- Roasted Beet & Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese
- Kale Harvest Salad with Sweet Potatoes
- Sheet Pan Roasted Fall Veggies
- Roasted Cauliflower & Carrot Bowl with Chickpeas
- Creamy Buffalo Chicken Salad
- Sweet Potato Rounds with Whipped Ricotta & Pecans
- One Pot Pumpkin Chili
- Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Crust
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Key Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
This Fall Harvest Pasta Salad uses simple ingredients. Below are some ingredient notes. Check the recipe card for measurements.
Salad Ingredients
- Pasta - when it comes to pasta shape, short pasta with plenty of nooks works best. Rotini, fusilli, penne, or bow-tie pasta are all popular for pasta salad. I like to cook pasta al dente by cooking it about a minute less than is called for on the package. Use chickpea or lentil pasta to add protein and fiber.
- Butternut Squash - Butternut squash is the sweetest winter squash variety and it almost caramelizes when roasted. Use packaged pre-cut butternut squash to make this recipe even easier. If you choose a whole butternut squash, choose a ripe one by picking one that's heavy for its size. You can use sweet potatoes instead if you prefer.
- Brussels sprouts - brussels sprouts are sometimes called "little cabbages" and are a classic fall veggie.
- Apple - diced apple gets roasted with the squash and brussels and adds a little extra sweetness to the dish. I use Honeycrisp apples, but you can use any variety of apples.
- Fresh Thyme - thyme pairs great with fall produce like the ingredients in this recipe. You can substitute fresh thyme for dried by using 1 teaspoon dried thyme. Add some sage or rosemary for even more flavor.
- Goat Cheese - tangy goat cheese is creamy and decadent and pairs beautifully with pasta. Look for plain goat cheese. If you don't like goat cheese, feta cheese is a good alternative.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Kosher Salt & Black Pepper - we use a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper to roast the veggies.
- Dried Cranberries (optional) - if you're like me and want to add a bit more sweetness, dried cranberries or chopped dates do the trick.
Dressing Ingredients
You can use a store-bought Balsamic Dressing for this Autumn Pasta Salad Recipe. But if you want to make a homemade Maple Balsamic dressing, here are the ingredients you will need.
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil - extra virgin olive oil serves as the base of the dressing for this pasta salad.
- Balsamic Vinegar - use a balsamic that is aged for best flavor.
- Maple Syrup - adding a sweetener like maple syrup balances out the other salty and savory flavors. Honey works too.
- Dijon Mustard - to add tang and emulsify the dressing.
- Garlic - for more flavor
- Kosher Salt & Black Pepper - to tie all the flavors together.
How to Make Fall Pasta Salad
Below are the instructions for how to make this fall pasta salad with visuals that I hope are helpful! Check the recipe card at the bottom for the full recipe.
- Step 1 - Preheat the oven to 400℉ (200°C). Prepare a baking sheet with greased parchment paper for easy clean-up. Dice the butternut squash, brussels sprouts, and apple. Add the butternut squash and brussels sprouts for the sheet pan and coat them in the olive oil, fresh thyme, and salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Scoot the vegetables over and add the apples. Cook another 10-15 minutes or until everything is fork tender. Cooking times will vary.
- Step 2 - While the veggies roast, cook your pasta in a large pot according to the package instructions. You will bring water to a boil on medium-high heat, add some salt, and add the pasta to the salted water. If you prefer al dente pasta, cook it 1-2 minutes less than the box calls for, and stop the cooking process by immediately draining the excess water, saving about a tablespoon of the pasta water. After you drain the pasta, toss it in a drizzle of olive oil or the extra pasta water and let it cool.
- Step 3 - While the pasta cooks, make the maple dressing by combining the dressing ingredients in a small bowl or measuring cup and whisking them together until well-emulsified, about 1 minute.
- Step 4 - When the veggies are done roasting, let them cool. Assemble the salad by adding the cooled pasta, roasted veggies, goat cheese, and dried cranberries (optional) to a large bowl. Pour on the dressing and toss to combine, making sure everything is well coated.
Hint: If you are making this salad in advance wait and add the goat cheese and dressing right before serving. And if you are serving this as a Thanksgiving Pasta Salad, use a bag of colorful pasta for even more of a variety of colors.
Video of How to Make Fall Pasta Salad
Here's a video of how to make this recipe that I hope is helpful!
Dietitian Tip
Ingredient prep for this salad in advance by roasting your veggies and making the dressing the night before. Then when lunchtime or dinnertime rolls around, all that's left to do is cook up your pasta and assemble the salad!
Variations
One of the best parts about a fall pasta salad is that you can easily customize it to your taste. Below are a few ideas.
- Spicy - add chili pepper flakes if you like your pasta salad with a bit of a kick!
- Deluxe - to kick it up a notch, add red onion to the roasted fall veggies and top this pasta salad with pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, sunflower seeds, or pomegranate seeds.
- High Protein - if you want to serve it as a main course, one of the best ways to ensure it'll keep you full is to add more protein. Use shredded rotisserie chicken, sage chicken meatballs, turkey meatballs, or use your favorite plant-based protein.
Storage
- Refrigerator - store your leftover fall pasta salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
Expert Tips
- Add a bit of olive oil to your pasta right when it finishes cooking to prevent it from sticking together.
- If you are making this in advance of serving it, leave out the cheese and dressing and add them when it's time to serve.
- I suggest using a pasta cut that has a lot of grooves so that you get some of the dressing in every bite.
- You can substitute the fresh thyme with 1 teaspoon of dried thyme.
FAQ
While healthy means something different to everyone, this fall pasta salad is a nutrient-rich option. It contains dietary fiber, and important vitamins including Vitamin C, A, and K from the vegetables to support gut health. Extra-Virgin Olive Oil provides healthy fatty acids that have been shown to support brain health and hormone health. And many of the ingredients in this recipe contain antioxidants which are vital to overall health.
No, this recipe contains goat cheese which is an animal product. You can easily make this recipe vegan by replacing the goat cheese with vegan cheese or just taking it out altogether!
I do suggest letting your pasta cool before combining the ingredients and adding the dressing. You can speed up the cooling process by placing the pasta in the fridge.
Related
Looking for other dietitian recipes like this? Try these:
Perfect for Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Fall Pasta Salad:
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! I would love to hear from you! If you made this recipe, please leave me a review below or tag me in a photo or story on Instagram. Your reviews help support me and make it possible for me to continue to create the recipes you know and love. 🙂 IG: @mallorythedietitian
📖 Recipe
Fall Pasta Salad with Butternut Squash and Brussels
Equipment
- 1 sauce pan
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 8 oz pasta, dry ( I use rotini pasta)
- 2 cups brussels sprouts, diced
- 2 cups butternut squash, diced
- 2 cups apple, diced (I use a honeycrisp)
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
- 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 oz goat cheese, more for topping (or feta cheese)
- ¼ cup dried cranberries (optional)
For Maple Dijon Vinaigrette Dressing
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400℉ (200°C). Prepare a baking sheet with greased parchment paper for easy clean-up. Dice the butternut squash, brussels sprouts, and apple.
- Add the butternut squash and brussels sprouts for the sheet pan and coat them in the olive oil, fresh thyme, and salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Scoot the vegetables over and add the apples. Cook another 10-15 minutes or until everything is fork tender. Cooking times will vary.
- While the veggies roast, cook your pasta in a large pot according to the package instructions. You will bring water to a boil on medium-high heat, add some salt, and add the pasta to the salted water. If you prefer al dente pasta, cook it 1-2 minutes less than the box calls for, and stop the cooking process by immediately draining the excess water, saving about a tablespoon of the pasta water. After you drain the pasta, toss it in a drizzle of olive oil or the extra pasta water and let it cool.
- While the pasta cooks, make the maple dressing by combining the dressing ingredients in a small bowl or measuring cup and whisking them together until well-emulsified, about 1 minute.
- When the veggies are done roasting, let them cool. Assemble the salad by adding the cooled pasta, roasted veggies, goat cheese, and dried cranberries (optional) to a large bowl. Pour on the dressing and toss to combine, making sure everything is well coated.
- Hint: If you are making this salad in advance wait and add the goat cheese and dressing right before serving. And if you are serving this as a Thanksgiving Pasta Salad, use a bag of colorful pasta for even more of a variety of colors!
Video
Notes
- Add a bit of olive oil to your pasta right when it finishes cooking to prevent it from sticking together.
- If you are making this in advance of serving it, leave out the cheese and dressing and add them when it's time to serve.
- I suggest using a pasta cut that has a lot of grooves so that you get some of the dressing in every bite of this fall pasta salad
- Refrigerator - store your leftovers in and airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
Carly
This looks awesome. What could you use in place of Brussels sprouts?
Mallory
Thank you so much, Carly!! It means so much to me! I think you could use broccoli, sweet potatoes, carrots, or cauliflower in place of brussels!
Christine
I used a crisp granny smith and it turned to mush? Was I not supposed to bake it?
Mallory
Hi Christine,
Thank you so much for taking time to ask this question! The apples will get soft when you bake them but they shouldn't be mushy. I've never used a granny smith for this recipe but sounds like they cook faster. You could either not cook the apple at all or add it in the last 10 minutes of roasting the vegetables to just soften it. I'm so sorry that happened and hope you'll try the recipe again with the adjustments! Have a wonderful day! -Mallory