Description
A festive and colorful Christmas Pasta Salad featuring roasted cinnamon-spiced sweet potatoes, holiday-shaped pasta, fresh apples, white cheddar, and a tangy maple balsamic dressing. This salad combines sweet, savory, and tangy flavors perfect for holiday gatherings or chilly winter lunches.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad
- 2 cups sweet potatoes, diced
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 8 oz cooked pasta, Christmas shapes
- 1 honey crisp apple, diced
- 6 oz white cheddar cheese, cubed
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
- 1/2 small red onion, finely diced
- 2 handfuls baby arugula
Dressing
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare sweet potatoes: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a sheet pan with non-stick spray and set aside. Peel and dice the sweet potatoes, then toss them in a bowl with cinnamon to coat evenly.
- Roast sweet potatoes: Spread the sweet potatoes evenly on the prepared sheet pan and roast in the oven for 35 minutes until tender and slightly caramelized. Remove and let cool.
- Cook pasta: Boil the Christmas-shaped pasta according to the package directions. Drain the pasta thoroughly and set aside to cool.
- Make dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, maple syrup, and salt until the dressing is emulsified and well combined. Set aside.
- Combine salad ingredients: In a large bowl, add the cooled roasted sweet potatoes, cooled pasta, diced honey crisp apple, cubed white cheddar, dried cranberries, chopped walnuts, finely diced red onion, and baby arugula.
- Toss salad with dressing: Pour the dressing over the salad and gently toss everything together until the ingredients are evenly coated.
- Serve: Serve the Christmas Pasta Salad immediately for the freshest flavor and best texture.
Notes
- Roast the sweet potatoes the night before to save time on the day of serving.
- Use dried cranberries or substitute with dried cherries for a tart flavor variation.
- Baby arugula can be replaced with baby spinach if preferred.
- For a nut-free version, omit walnuts or substitute with pumpkin seeds.
- This salad can be made vegan by replacing white cheddar cheese with a plant-based cheese alternative.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 350 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg
