This Fall Pasta Salad is full of seasonal flavors including roasted sweet potatoes, cranberries, pumpkin seeds and thyme. Mixed with al dente noodles and a homemade maple vinaigrette you’ll want this dish to become an autumn staple in your house.
6ozsharp white cheddarcrumbled, I used Trader Joe's caramelized sharp cheddar
6-8stalksfresh thyme
½cupdried cranberries
⅓cuproasted pumpkin seeds
Maple Vinaigrette
½cupolive oil
¼cupmaple syrup
¼cupapple cider vinegar
½tspsalt
2tbspdijon mustard
½tsppoppy seeds
Instructions
Start by preparing the sweet potatoes. Preheat the airfryer (or oven) to 400°F. Peel the sweet potatoes then finely dice them (I use my beloved vegetable chopper for even cuts).
Toss the cubes in a bowl with olive oil, salt and pepper. Once coated, put them in the airfryer and roast for 14-18 minutes or until sweet potatoes are golden brown and fork tender. **You’ll want to stir them a few times to avoid burning**. If you’re using the oven you’ll want to roast for ~30 minutes.
Now cook the bowtie noodles 1-2 minutes less than package instructions in salted water (we want them al dente). Drain the pasta water from noodles after cooking. Don’t rinse! This helps the dressing stick better.
Add the warm, cooked noodles to a large mixing bowl. Fold in spinach immediately (it will help wilt it a bit).
Fold in roasted sweet potatoes, cubed cheddar cheese, pumpkin seeds, goat cheese crumbles, fresh thyme, and dried cranberries. Toss together.
Shake all of the dressing ingredients in a mason jar until combined. Pour into the salad and toss.
Serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Keep the dressing and pumpkin seeds separate from the salad until ready to serve.