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Fall Pasta Salad

Ingredients

For the salad:

  • 2 medium sweet potatoes
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
  • 12 oz bow tie noodles
  • 3 cups spinach
  • 5 oz feta cheese
  • 6 oz sharp white cheddar
  • 6 –8 stalks fresh thyme
  • ½ cup dried cranberries
  • ⅓ cup roasted pumpkin seeds

For the Maple Vinaigrette:

  • ½ cup olive oil
  • ¼ cup maple syrup
  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • ½ tsp poppy seeds

Instructions

Prep the sweet potatoes.

  1. Preheat your oven or air fryer to 400°F. Peel the sweet potatoes and finely dice them. I use my vegetable chopper for even cuts.
    Prep by dicing all the ingredients

Roast.

  1. Toss the cubes in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Once coated, place them in the air fryer for 14–18 minutes, stirring occasionally until golden and fork-tender. If roasting in the oven, cook for about 30 minutes.

Cook the pasta.

  1. Boil the bow tie noodles 1–2 minutes less than the package directions in salted water so they’re al dente. Drain but don’t rinse. This helps the dressing cling better.

Combine.

  1. Add the warm noodles to a large mixing bowl and fold in the spinach right away to help wilt it slightly.

Mix the good stuff.

  1. Add roasted sweet potatoes, cubed cheddar cheese, pumpkin seeds, feta crumbles, fresh thyme leaves, and dried cranberries. Toss gently to combine.

Make the dressing.

  1. Shake all vinaigrette ingredients in a mason jar or dressing container until combined. Pour over the salad and toss.

Serve and enjoy.

  1. This pasta salad is delicious warm or at room temperature. It’s hearty enough for dinner, but bright enough for any fall gathering.