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sweet potato pasta salad
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Sweet Potato Pasta Salad

Shake up your summertime meals with this savory and delicious Sweet Potato Pasta Salad. This hearty side dish is packed with a flavorful crunch and tied together with a homemade poppy seed dressing.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword Cold Salads for Thanksgiving, Fall Harvest Potato Salad, Fall Pasta Salad, Roasted Sweet Potato Salad, Sweet Potato Pasta Salad, Sweet Potato Salad, Winter Pasta Salad
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Chilling 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 42 minutes
Servings 12 servings
Calories 454kcal

Ingredients

Sweet Potato Pasta Salad:

Poppy Seed Dressing:

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 °F.
  • Place sweet potato pieces on a large baking sheet. Toss with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
    2 medium sweet potatoes peeled and cut into 3/4' cubes, 1 tbsp. olive oil, salt and pepper
  • Cook pasta according to package directions to al dente. Drain and rinse pasta with cool water nd set aside to completely cool down.
    16 oz. tri-colored rotini pasta
  • While pasta is cooking, slice the onion and peel and grate the carrots.
    1/2 cup sliced red onion, 2 large carrots, peeled and grated
  • To a large mixing bowl, add pasta, red onion, carrots, broccoli, sweet potatoes, walnuts, cranberries, cheese and pepitas.
    3 cups bite-sized broccoli florets (you may need to chop to get them this size), 1 cup walnut halves, 1 cup dried cranberries, 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, 1/2 cup pepitas (pumpkin) seeds
  • In a small bowl add all the dressing ingredients and mix until fully combined.
    3/4 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup milk, 1/4 cup white wine vinegar, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 2-1/2 tbsps. poppy seeds, 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard, 1/8 tsp. table salt
  • Pour dressing over salad and toss until fully coated.
  • Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for an hour. (It can be cold, but you don't want it ice cold at serving time.)

Notes

Make ahead: The sweet potatoes can be roasted and the dressing prepared up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated in separate airtight containers. Assemble when ready to serve.
Nutrition information is only an estimation and variation will occur based on the ingredients/brands you use. 

Nutrition

Serving: 161g | Calories: 454kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 4.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4.6g | Cholesterol: 13.5mg | Sodium: 329mg | Potassium: 458mg | Fiber: 5.3g | Sugar: 17.8g | Vitamin A: 323IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 140mg | Iron: 3mg