Broccoli Pasta Salad with Grapes
Do you love traditional broccoli salad? Then try it turned into a super delicious pasta salad! Broccoli Pasta Salad with Grapes packs all the fabulous flavors of traditional broccoli salad, with the added hearty punch of pasta.
I've long been a fan of good-ol' broccoli salad. With it's slightly-sweet dressing, crunch of fresh raw broccoli, bacon saltiness, and sweetness of grapes (or craisins, if you're my Mom), it's like a flavor rainbow in your mouth. What's not to love?
But hey, broccoli salad gets even better with the addition of a hearty dose of pasta!
This Broccoli Pasta Salad with Grapes is one of those recipes that was in my "gotta try this" pile forever. We all have that pile, right?
I know I sure do.
Broccoli Pasta Salad with Grapes packs all the fabulous flavors of traditional broccoli salad, with the added hearty punch of pasta.
I tear recipes out of magazines all the time. Beg recipes from my friends all the time. Find goodies to try in new cookbooks all the time. Come up with new ideas and jot them down all the time.
And into a pile they go.
Mine is at least an organized pile ... categorized and filed in a pretty binder after I got tired of digging through a truly big-old regular pile. But it's a pile, all the same.
So after finding the inspiration for this delicious Broccoli Pasta Salad with Grapes in Southern Living Magazine
several years ago, I finally got around to digging it out of the pile and giving it a try.
Well, this broccoli pasta salad was worth the wait.
Loaded with fresh broccoli and grapes coated in tangy slightly-sweet dressing, it packs all the wonderful flavors of the traditional broccoli salad we love. All with the addition of tender bowtie pasta.
The pasta adds a soft textural element to the crunch of the raw broccoli. And adds a bit more heartiness to the dish.
To whip up a big bowl of Broccoli Pasta Salad with Grapes, start by halving some red seedless grapes and chopping about a head of fresh broccoli into small pieces. You want the broccoli florets to be cut into bite-sized pieces, not big chunks that would be too much for a mouthful.
Then combine the broccoli and grapes with some cooked, cooled bowtie pasta. Toss this all together with a simple dressing made with mayonnaise, sugar, and red wine vinegar.
Pop the salad in the refrigerator to chill for about 3 hours before serving to allow the flavors to meld.
Right before serving, stir in several slices of crumbled bacon and some chopped pecans. Stirring them at serving time instead of before the salad is chilled helps the pecans and bacon keep their crunch in the salad.
As the salad chills, the pasta absorbs a good bit of the dressing. If the salad seems "dry" at serving time, just stir in a couple tablespoons of mayonnaise to moisten it back up.
Also an important note -- This Broccoli Pasta Salad with Grapes is best served the same day it is made.
Broccoli Pasta Salad with Grapes is best served the same day it is made.
While it still tastes great after being refrigerated over night or for a couple of days, the color of the grapes and broccoli transfers to the pasta after a while. This doesn't affect the salad's flavor, but does darken the color of the pasta and sometimes turns the pasta a little bit of an unappealing grayish color.
I recommend serving it up the same day it's made.
If you're looking for a flavorful pasta salad to feed a crowd, or just want to put a new little spin on your classic broccoli salad, print out this recipes and give Broccoli Pasta Salad with Grapes a try.
Just don't stick the printout in your recipe pile -- It may just stay their untouched for several years like it did for me.
And this salad is just way too tasty for that.
Check out these other tasty pasta salad favorites:
- Amish Macaroni Salad
- Antipasto Pasta Salad
- Ma's Picnic Pasta Salad
- Loaded Baked Potato Macaroni Salad
- Pineapple Shrimp Macaroni Salad
- Summer Vegetable Tortellini Salad
- Sun Dried Tomato, Artichoke, & Fresh Basil Pasta Salad
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Yield: about 10-12 servings
Broccoli Pasta Salad with Grapes
Do you love traditional broccoli salad? Then try it turned into a super delicious pasta salad! Broccoli Pasta Salad with Grapes packs all the fabulous flavors of traditional broccoli salad, with the added hearty punch of pasta.
prep time: 3 H & 20 Mcook time: 20 Mtotal time: 3 H & 40 M
ingredients:
- 2 c. dry bow-tie pasta (about 8 oz.)
- 4 c. fresh broccoli florets (about 1 pound)
- 1 1/2 c. halved seedless red grapes
- 1 c. chopped pecans
- 6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 1 c. mayonnaise
- 1/4 c. granulated sugar
- 2/3 c. diced red onions
- 1/3 c. red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp. salt
instructions:
How to make Broccoli Pasta Salad with Grapes
- Cook pasta according to package directions. While pasta cooks, cut broccoli florets into small pieces.
- In a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sugar, red onion, red wine vinegar, and salt.
- Add broccoli, hot cooked pasta, and grapes. Stir to combine.
- Cover and chill in the refrigerator for about 3 hours.
- Stir in bacon and pecans just before serving.
TRACEY'S NOTES:
- As the salad chills, the pasta will absorb a good bit of the dressing. If the salad seems "dry" at serving time, stir in a couple tablespoons of mayonnaise to moisten it back up.
- This salad is best served the same day it is made. While it still tastes great after being refrigerated over night or for a couple of days, the color of the grapes and broccoli transfers to the pasta after a while. This doesn't affect the salad's flavor, but does change the color of the pasta. I recommend serving it up the same day it's made.
Adapted from Southern Living Magazine, September 2011
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