Description
A festive Christmas Pasta Salad combining roasted cinnamon-spiced sweet potatoes, Christmas-shaped pasta, crisp apples, creamy white cheddar, dried cranberries, walnuts, and peppery arugula, all tossed in a maple balsamic dressing. Perfect for holiday gatherings or a colorful side dish.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad
- 2 sweet potatoes, diced and roasted
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 8 oz cooked Christmas-shaped pasta
- 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 Oven: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and spray a sheet pan with non-stick spray to prepare for roasting the sweet potatoes.
- Prepare Sweet Potatoes: Peel and dice the sweet potatoes, then toss them with cinnamon in a bowl until evenly coated.
- Roast Sweet Potatoes: Spread the cinnamon-coated sweet potatoes evenly on the prepared sheet pan and roast in the oven for 35 minutes. Remove and let them cool completely.
- Cook Pasta: Boil the Christmas-shaped pasta according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water to cool it down completely.
- Make Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, maple syrup, and salt until well combined.
- Combine Salad Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the cooled roasted sweet potatoes, cooled cooked pasta, diced apple, cubed white cheddar cheese, dried cranberries, chopped walnuts, finely diced red onion, and baby arugula.
- Toss Salad with Dressing: Pour the prepared dressing over the salad ingredients and toss gently until everything is evenly coated.
- Serve: Serve the salad immediately for the best freshness and flavor.
Notes
- For a nut-free version, substitute walnuts with roasted pumpkin seeds or omit entirely.
- You can use any type of apple; Honey Crisp is recommended for its balance of sweetness and tartness.
- Allow the sweet potatoes and pasta to cool completely to prevent wilting the arugula.
- Use gluten-free pasta to make this recipe gluten free.
- The salad can be prepared a few hours ahead and refrigerated, but add arugula just before serving to keep it fresh.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 320 mg
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg
