Fall Pasta Salad with Maple Dijon Dressing
This fall pasta salad might just earn a spot as one of your favorite pasta salads! It’s packed with fresh autumn veggies, perfectly cooked pasta, and a homemade maple Dijon dressing, all topped with vegan parmesan cheese. Whether you’re looking for a delicious fall pasta salad to enjoy with dinner, a great side dish for holiday gatherings, or a healthy lunch you can meal prep (because it tastes even better the next day!), this dish covers it all.
Servings: 4 servings
Equipment
- Pot
- Nonstick Baking Mat or parchment paper
- microplane or grater
Ingredients
Base Ingredients
- 2 cups dry pasta
- 2 cups sweet potato, pumpkin or squash diced
- 1 cup kale roughly torn
- 1 cup brussel sprouts roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup roasted pecans roughly chopped
- 3 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 2 tsp fresh rosemary roughly chopped
- 1 tsp fresh thyme roughly chopped
- 1 tsp fresh sage roughly chopped
- salt kosher, to taste
- black pepper to taste
Dressing Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 1/2 lemon juiced
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1-2 tsp dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp champagne vinegar
- 2 tsp shallot finely minced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- salt kosher, to taste
- black pepper to taste
- vegan parmesan to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F and line a baking sheet with a nonstick backing mat or parchment paper.
- Add pumpkin, brussel sprouts and kale to the baking sheet along with rosemary, thyme and sage. Toss with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and use your hands to coat the veggies evenly in the oil and herbs. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until veggies are tender and cooked through.
- Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside to cool. If the pasta is sticky, toss in a small amount of olive oil to help.
- Prepare the dressing by whisking olive oil, lemon juice, maple syrup, dijon mustard, champagne vinegar, shallot, garlic and salt and pepper in a bowl. Toss cooked veggies and cooked pasta into the bowl with the dressing and coat evenly with the dressing.
- Serve with vegan parmesan to top. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- For best results, use fresh veggies! This is a great recipe to take advantage of all the seasonal produce that fall brings. Using fresh veggies will make your salad bright and beautiful and also make it taste so much better.
- Cook the pasta al dente to make sure it holds its shape and doesn’t become too mushy once mixed with the dressing and roasted veggies.
- Don’t rush the roasting process! Letting those sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts roast until they’re lightly caramelized brings out their natural sweetness and adds depth to the dish
- If you have the time, let the salad rest at room temperature for a bit before serving so the flavours have a chance to meld.
- When cooking the pasta, make sure to salt your water generously. If you’re making the salad ahead, toss the cooked pasta with a little olive oil to prevent it from sticking together.