Harvest Pasta Salad

Butternut squash, sweet potatoes and pecans come together for a delicious Harvest Pasta Salad, perfect for your next fall dinner!

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Wowzers. It’s been a hot second since I last blogged. Between all the different hats I wear, sadly my sweet little blog has been pushed to the back burner. I’m hoping to get back in the groove of things soon (especially once fall picture season ends) because I have some fun recipes and posts to share with you, and I can’t wait for them to go live! 

Which brings me to today’s post. 
Drum roll please….
It’s another #HappilytheMartinez collaboration! 

A while ago Emily (from MartinezMade.co) and I went on a fun picnic at the Dallas Arboretum with James, and (of course) we went all out on our food. I mean, do you expect anything less from two food bloggers? It was SO much fun, the weather was beautiful, and the food was even better. We decided to go for a fall/harvest theme with the food and lemme tell ya – it was DELICIOUS. 

Emily made some mouthwatering sandwiches that will be live on her blog tOmOrRoW. Between the brie cheese, peach jam, and her amazing homemade bread, I can’t decide what part was my favorite. I’ve been craving another sandwich ever since I finished the first (hint hint Emily) and you better believe I’m going to be making one as soon as her recipe is live! 

To go with the sandwich, I made my Harvest Pasta Salad. I wanted the flavors to blend well together with the rest of the meal, and I have to say.. It was so perfect! While it was a bit of work to make all of the different pasta salad components ahead of time and let them cool before mixing together, I think it was worth it. Plus the recipe makes a LOT of pasta salad so you can eat off it for days. #heckyes

To keep with our fall meal idea, I stuck to some classic flavors for this time of year. Between the butternut squash, pecans, sweet potatoes and broccoli, this pasta salad is a mouthful of flavor. I added mozzarella cheese pearls, cauliflower pasta and spinach to give it the perfect finishing touch. And instead of using a cream/mayo based dressing, I opted for a balsamic vinaigrette from Tessemae’s. 
Yum yum yum! 

I was impressed with how well the pasta salad flavors all came together, and it was the perfect side dish to those delicious sandwiches. *cue the mouth drooling emoji* And yes, it got the two thumbs up from both Isaac and James. ;) 

Don’t know what to pair it with?
My favorite way to eat these pasta salad leftovers is with some broiled Aidell’s chicken sausage sliced on top. It’s seriously sooooo good! 

Harvest Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

1 8oz box pasta (I used the Simple Truth Organic Cauliflower and Quinoa Fusilli from Kroger)
2 medium sweet potatoes
2 tsp olive oil
Salt & Pepper
8 oz mozzarella pearls
2 cups broccoli
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1 lb butternut squash
1 tsp olive oil
2 cups chopped spinach
Balsamic Vinaigrette

Directions:

Prepare the pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside. 
Preheat oven to 375. Cut the sweet potatoes into 1/2 inch cubes, toss in 2 tsp olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast on a baking sheet for 30 minutes, or until browned and easy to poke with a fork. Set aside.
Cut the broccoli into small florets and either steam using 1/2 cup water and a steamer insert, or roast with the sweet potatoes. Set aside.
Peel then cut the butternut squash into 1/2 inch cubes. Toss in 1 tsp olive oil and heat in a skillet. Cover and let it cook, stirring every few minutes to avoid burning on the bottom. Once it’s soft and cooked through, set aside. 
In a large bowl, mix together the pasta, sweet potatoes, broccoli, pecans, butternut squash and spinach. Let it cool to room temperature before adding the mozzarella pearls. 
Dress with the vinaigrette to your taste, and enjoy! Best served fresh, but you can store in the fridge for up to 5 days. 

Looking for more fall recipes? You should check these out! 
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
Taste of Fall Breakfast Bowl
Creamy Sage and Parmesan Sauce
One Pan Dinner (Fall Edition)