Description
A festive and flavorful Christmas Pasta Salad featuring roasted sweet potatoes, seasonal fruits, nuts, and a tangy balsamic dressing, perfect for holiday gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad
- 2 cup diced sweet potatoes
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 8 oz cooked pasta, Christmas shapes
- 1 Honey Crisp apple, diced
- 6 oz white cheddar cheese, cubed
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
- 1/2 small red onion, finely diced
- 2 handfuls baby arugula
Dressing
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Sweet Potatoes: Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a sheet pan with non-stick spray and set aside. Peel and dice the sweet potatoes, then toss them with cinnamon in a bowl.
- Roast Sweet Potatoes: Spread the cinnamon-coated sweet potatoes evenly on the prepared pan and roast for 35 minutes until tender. Remove and let them cool.
- Cook Pasta: Boil the pasta according to the package directions until al dente. Drain and let cool.
- Make Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, maple syrup, and salt until well combined. Set aside.
- Assemble Salad: In a large bowl, combine the cooled roasted sweet potatoes, cooled pasta, diced apple, cubed white cheddar cheese, dried cranberries, chopped walnuts, finely diced red onion, and baby arugula.
- Add Dressing and Toss: Pour the prepared dressing over the salad ingredients and mix until well combined to evenly coat all components.
- Serve: Serve the Christmas Pasta Salad immediately or chill briefly for a cooler salad experience.
Notes
- Roast the sweet potatoes until tender but not mushy for the best texture.
- Allow pasta and sweet potatoes to cool completely before mixing to prevent wilting the arugula.
- Use seasonal dried cranberries or substitute with dried cherries or raisins for variation.
- For extra crunch, toast the walnuts lightly before adding.
- Substitute white cheddar with aged cheddar or gouda for a different flavor profile.
- Maple syrup can be replaced with honey or agave syrup if preferred.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 320 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg
