This pasta salad is hearty and satisfying - and it's vegetarian! Full of roasted cauliflower & butternut squash, tender tubes of ditalini, salty feta & tart cranberries, and tossed with a sweet and tangy Sherry maple vinaigrette, it's great as a side dish or main course.
Sometimes when I'm feeling uninspired in the kitchen, my favorite thing to do is look to dishes I've loved at restaurants for a little at-home inspiration. And that's exactly where this recipe came from!
This pasta salad is based on a dish we had at Easy Tiger, a bake shop and beer garden here in Austin. Easy Tiger is a super cool place - they have a few locations around town that serve artisan bread, locally roasted coffee, housemade meats, cocktails, wine and lots of local and boutique draft beers. They also sell their bread in local grocery stores - their Austin Sourdough Boule is a staple pantry item of ours!
I've come to really love these kinds of pasta salads - where pasta is part of it but it's also beefed up with lots of roasted veggies and greens.
This pasta salad is made up of:
- ditalini pasta (little tubes - like the kind you usually see in pasta e fagioli!)
- roasted butternut squash
- roasted cauliflower
- dried cranberries
- pepitas
- feta cheese
- arugula
- Sherry maple vinaigrette
This pasta salad is great as a side dish, but thanks to the roasted veggies it can stand on its own as a main dish too. The cranberries add a tiny kick of tart sweetness and the feta lends a salty, creamy bite. Peppery arugula freshens it all up with some vibrant greenery and the Sherry maple vinaigrette is the perfect sweet and tangy complement to it all!
This hearty vegetarian pasta salad tastes great warm, at room temperature, or cold - so it's awesome when eaten right away, as leftovers, or for entertaining!
Looking for more hearty salads? Try this Roasted Mushroom, Arugula and Orzo Salad or this Winter Vegetable Buddha Bowl!
Yummy noises await you!
Hearty Vegetarian Pasta Salad
Ingredients
For the salad
- ⅓ cup pearled farro, uncooked (or 1 cup cooked)
- 1 cup ditalini pasta, uncooked
- 12 oz butternut squash, peeled and cut into ¾" pieces
- 12 oz cauliflower, cut into bite sized florets
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
- 3 oz feta, crumbled
- 2 oz arugula, (about 2 cups packed)
For the dressing
- ¼ cup sherry vinegar
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Cook the farro: Pearled farro can be cooked the same way you cook rice (measuring a specific ratio of grains to water and cooking until the water is completely absorbed). If you want to go this route, or if you have "quick cook farro" which is already parboiled, cook according to package instructions.I like to cook farro like pasta, I think it's easier and you get better results. For this method, bring a small/medium pot of well salted water to a boil. In a fine mesh strainer, rinse farro until the water runs clear. Add to the boiling water and cook until al dente, about 20-25 minutes. Taste for doneness - the farro should be cooked through and not hard or crunchy but still have a little bit of chew to it. Drain excess water and transfer farro to a large mixing bowl, spreading it out to help it cool.
- Roast the veggies: Preheat oven to 400°F. Chop cauliflower into bite-sized florets. Peel and deseed butternut squash and chop into ¾ inch cubes. Transfer cauliflower to one half of a sheet pan, transfer the butternut squash to the other half, and toss each with olive oil, salt & pepper to taste. Roast until tender and browned, about 20 minutes for the cauliflower and 25 for the butternut squash. Add to mixing bowl. Keeping the butternut squash and cauliflower separated on the sheet pan will allow you to easily cook the squash a little longer if needed without overdoing the cauliflower.
- Cook the pasta: While the farro cooks and the veggies roast, bring another small/medium pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Cook ditalini until tender, about 9 minutes (or according to package instructions). Drain and add to mixing bowl.
- Make the vinaigrette: Add all vinaigrette ingredients to a two-cup measuring cup and blend with an immersion blender until emulsified. Or, add all ingredients to a jar and shake vigorously to combine.
- Dress and toss the salad: Add cranberries, pepitas, feta, and arugula to the mixing bowl with the farro, roasted veggies and pasta, and drizzle with dressing. Toss gently to combine and serve immediately.
Unbelievable!! Love this!! And We love Easy Tiger! Love prpitas—my new fav salad addition!! Will try your dressing. I have never bought Sherry vinegar. Interesting. This is a winner!
Hey!!! Welcome back, Rachel!!! This recipe sounds very yummy and like my kind of pasta salad!
That looks so delicious, Rachel! So glad you're back with another yummy recipe! Your pictures are so beautiful, makes my mouth water! All those flavors, savory, sweet, tangy. I can't wait to make it!
Looks delicious Rachel. Will be making this for sure!!
Love the pic of Charlie!!
Yummy Rachel.. looking forward to making this!!
Paula
Yes great pic of Charlie
UPDATE: I made it for dinner last night! Very delicious! Such a nice contrast of flavors and textures. Thanks again for another Yummy recipe! 🙂
P.S. I love that pic of Charlie, I know how much he loves his "roll in the grass" 😉