The weather in Chicago has been unseasonably warm and gorgeous for October. I’ve enjoyed as much time as possible outdoors at apple orchards, pumpkin patches, farmers markets, and all the fall festivals that the city offers!
But this warm weather has made it harder to convince myself to switch to fall ingredients, dishes, and cooking techniques which in my mind is typically chili, braises, soups, stews, squash, etc.
However, during a recent trip to Trader Joe’s, I picked up their Mandarin Crunch Pasta Salad with apples, dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds, celery, mandarin oranges, arugala and feta. It had sweet, salty, crunchy, and tangy elements, and I decided that with the addition of some other fall vegetables, I could make an even better version of the pasta salad to enjoy while this warm weather lingers. Honestly, I’m always looking for an excuse to make a new pasta salad. Have you tried my Elotes Pasta Salad or my Potsticker Pasta Salad yet?
For my version, I opted to add some of my fall favorites like roasted butternut squash, sweet potato, and brussel sprouts, but you can make it your own. I think beets would be great addition, too!
Not only will I probably make this pasta salad year round, but I also found that it was a great way to practice my knife skills, and a perfect addition to a meal prep plan, because you can roast extra vegetables to use for other meals throughout the week. This would be a fun addition to your next Friendsgiving table, too! You might even convince your kids to try it, and have a new, easy, fiber-packed, school lunch option!
Autumn Harvest Pasta Salad
Serves: 8
Active Time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 60 minutes
For the salad:
2 cups short pasta, uncooked (I used wheels)
1 cup sweet potato, peeled, large dice
1 cup butternut squash, peeled, large dice
1 cup brussel sprouts, thinly sliced
1 cup celery, thinly sliced
1 honeycrisp apple, diced
1/4 cup red onion, small dice
2 clementines, peeled and segmented
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup salted, roasted almonds, roughly chopped
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
For the dressing:
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 clove of garlic, grated
1/2 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1. Boil water and cook pasta, according to directions. Drain and set aside in a large bowl.
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment and add sweet potato and butternut squash.
4. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper.
5. Roast for 25 minutes until tender.
6. While the vegetables are roasting, add the Brussels sprouts, apple, red onion, clementines, dried cranberries, and almonds to the bowl with the pasta. Toss to distribute everything evenly.
7. In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients.
8. Add the warm cooked sweet potatoes and squash to the pasta salad. Toss to distribute.
9. Add dressing, to taste, and toss (save any extra as you may want to add more after it has sat).
10. Add feta cheese. Toss.
11. Enjoy immediately, or allow pasta salad to sit in the fridge overnight. Enjoy for up to 5 days.
If you’re looking to enjoy this beautiful weather as long as possible, our last patio class of the season is coming up:
Or, if you’d like to explore other fall flavors, we’ve got you covered with some great classes including:
We’re also fully stocked with Le Creuset for your autumn braises, soups, and stews, so be sure to stop in to our retail store! And please mark your calendars for our annual Customer Appreciation Day on Sunday, November 29 from 11am-5pm. We’ll have some great discounts, demonstrations, samples, and raffle prizes that you won’t want to miss!
