Broccoli Pasta Salad
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This broccoli pasta salad is packed with everything you love in a summer side dish fresh veggies, tender pasta, crispy bacon, sweet cranberries, and a creamy homemade dressing. Every bite is full of flavor and texture, from crunchy broccoli and walnuts to the richness of cheddar. It’s perfect for potlucks, BBQs, and meal prepping for the week.
I love making cold pasta salads like this one during the warm summer months. They are refreshing, filling, and so easy to adapt to what you have on hand.
When the weather’s hot and you really don’t want to turn on your oven, this salad comes together quickly and chills in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.
Plus, it’s budget-friendly and makes a big batch, which is great when you’re feeding a crowd or want leftovers for easy lunches.
Whether you serve it alongside burgers, grilled chicken, or simply enjoy it on its own, this broccoli pasta salad is a must-make recipe for summertime.
Why You’ll Love This Broccoli Pasta Salad
- Sweet, Savory, Crunchy, Creamy – You get a little bit of everything in every bite. From tender pasta, crunchy broccoli and walnuts, salty bacon, and sweet cranberries, all coated in a creamy dressing.
- Make-Ahead Friendly – This salad tastes even better after chilling, making it a perfect prep-ahead option for busy days or parties.
- Feeds A Crowd – Whether you’re having a backyard BBQ, potluck, or family gathering, this recipe makes a large batch that’s perfect for a crowd.
Ingredient Notes
- Rotini Pasta – Its spiral shape is perfect for grabbing onto dressing, cheese, and little bits of veggies. It also holds up really well after chilling, making it a great choice for pasta salad. But you can substitute elbow pasta if you prefer.
- Broccoli – Raw broccoli adds bright color and a fresh crunch. It holds its texture even after chilling, making this salad easy to prep ahead of time.
- Bacon – With its smoky, salty flavor, it balances the sweetness of the dressing and cranberries so well.
- Cheddar Cheese – It adds a rich, savory taste and a pop of color that pairs well with the sweet and tangy dressing.
- Red Onion – Adds a pop of color and zippy taste to your salad. If you don’t have a red onion on hand, you could substitute it with any sweet onion.
- Dried Cranberries – They add a fun chewy texture to the salad and a sweetness that goes really well with the other salty and savory ingredients.
- Walnuts – They add a boost of protein and a yummy nutty flavor and crunch.
- Mayonnaise – This is the creamy base of the salad dressing. It brings everything together and helps the flavors of the veggies and seasonings to soak into the pasta.
- Sugar – It softens the tang and balances out the vinegar and mayo.
- White Vinegar – Gives your salad dressing a zesty kick and helps to keep the salad from feeling too heavy.
- Salt & Pepper – These season the dressing and help to enhance the other flavors. Adjust them to your tastes.
How To Make Broccoli Pasta Salad
Cook The Pasta
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the pasta, stir, and bring back to a boil. Cook for 10 minutes, or until just past al dente, according to the package directions.
Drain the cooked pasta and rinse it under cold water to cool it. Drain again and pour into a large bowl.
Prepare the Veggies
Chop the broccoli into bite-sized pieces and set aside. Finely chop your red onion and set it aside.
Make The Dressing
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar, salt, and pepper, and stir until well blended.
Combine
Pour the dressing over the pasta and stir to combine.
Then add the broccoli, bacon, cheese, red onion, cranberries, and walnuts. Toss together until everything is well mixed.
Cover and refrigerate for an hour or until you are ready to serve.
Storage
Store any leftover pasta salad in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to 4 days
Broccoli Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound rotini pasta
- 4 cups broccoli cut into small bite sized pieces
- 1 cup bacon pieces
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
- 1/2 cup red onion finely chopped
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 2 cups mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Then cook the pasta according to package directions, approximately 10 minutes. The drain and run under cold water to cool. Pour into a large bowl.
- Chop the broccoli and red onion.
- Make the dressing by stirring together the mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl.
- Pour the sauce over the noodles, and stir to combine.
- Add the broccoli, bacon, cheese, red onion, cranberries, and walnuts. Toss to combine.
- Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour, or until ready to serve.
Nutrition
These values are from a nutritional database and automatically calculated, and should only be used as an approximation.
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Kim Mills is a homeschooling mom of 6 and lives on an urban homestead in Ontario, Canada. Blogging at Homestead Acres she enjoys sharing tips to help you save money, grow and preserve your own food.
