Fall Pasta Salad
Curly noodles, roasted butternut squash, caramelized onions, celery, cranberries, and rosemary – all tossed in a tangy maple vinaigrette. This is everything you crave in the fall – celebrated in a pasta salad!
This recipe was written for the Arizona Republic.
This pasta salad feels like pure autumn in every bite
I celebrated the flavors of fall – rosemary, butternut squash, maple syrup, cinnamon – in a completely unique way. The squash is sweet and tender, the noodles are married with celery and cranberries, and the vinaigrette is tangy (and scented with maple syrup). I’m completely obsessed with how this salad delivers both crunchy and chewy elements.. and you’ll want to drizzle the vinaigrette over everything moving forward.
There’s a little cinnamon in this salad too! It’s barely detectable but it adds depth and warmth to the salad in the most magical way. It’s added to the vegetables before roasting and the aroma wafting from your oven when you combine that with the onions will blow you away!
This salad is very easy to prepare
While the vegetables roast, you can cook the pasta and make the vinaigrette. Everything comes together at the finish line!
You can make this pasta salad in advance
In fact, I doubled the recipe and brought it to a fall tailgate! To make the salad in advance, prepare it as directed and let it cool. Transfer the pasta salad to an airtight container, top with the feta cheese and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Why not fold the feta in? Because it’s nice to have the bigger chunks on top!
Fall Pasta Salad
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into bite-size cubes, or about 1 pound pre-cut butternut squash
- 1 red onion, sliced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
- Pinch of cinnamon
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound small pasta of choice, such as rotini, or penne, I used cellentani
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 cup crumbled or cubed feta cheese
For the Maple Vinaigrette
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon dried minced garlic, or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
- In a large bowl, combine the butternut squash cubes and red onion slices. Add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil and toss to coat. Add the rosemary, pinch of cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and toss to coat. Transfer the vegetables to the prepared pan and spread out in an even layer. Roast for 30 to 40 minutes, until the squash is fork-tender.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Fold in the celery and cranberries. When the butternut squash and onion are finished cooking, gently fold them into the pasta.
- To make the vinaigrette, whisk together all the ingredients. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Add the vinaigrette to the pasta mixture and stir to coat. Fold in the parsley.
- Transfer the pasta to a serving bowl and top with the feta cheese. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.