Sweet Potato Pasta Salad

With a perfect balance of sweet, savory, and a little crunch, this sweet potato pasta salad is tied together by a flavorful poppy seed dressing that makes every bite delicious.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword Sweet Potato Pasta Salad

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 12

Chilling 1

Total Time 1 42

Servings servings

Calories 454kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

Ingredients

Sweet Potato Pasta Salad:

2 medium sweet potatoes peeled and cut into 3/4' cubes
1 tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper
16 oz. tri-colored rotini pasta
1/2 cup sliced red onion
2 large carrots, peeled and grated
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

Poppy Seed Dressing:

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

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.

For optimal outcomes when making this sweet potato pasta salad, I recommend referring to the recipe details within the post. The recipe post commonly includes valuable notes, expert tips and frequently asked questions, that are not presented in the recipe card, often including how to make this recipe dairy-free, gluten free or vegan and ideas for healthy ingredient substitutions or variations.

The provided nutrition information is merely an approximation, as variations can arise depending on the specific ingredients/brands you select.

Nutrition