Fall Pasta Salad with Butternut Squash and Brussels
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!
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
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 of this fall pasta salad
- Refrigerator - store your leftovers in and airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!