Fall Pasta Salad with Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Cranberries, Pumpkin Seeds, and Maple Vinaigrette Recipe
This Fall Pasta Salad combines seasonal ingredients like roasted sweet potatoes, dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds, and fresh thyme with al dente bowtie noodles. Tossed in a homemade maple vinaigrette and enriched with creamy goat and sharp white cheddar cheeses, this vibrant salad is perfect for autumn lunches, appetizers, or side dishes, offering a delightful balance of sweet, savory, and nutty flavors.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Air Frying
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Salad
- 2 medium sweet potatoes
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 12 oz bowtie noodles
- 3 cups spinach
- 5 oz goat cheese, crumbled
- 6 oz sharp white cheddar, crumbled (preferably caramelized sharp cheddar)
- 6–8 stalks fresh thyme
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/3 cup roasted pumpkin seeds
Maple Vinaigrette
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp poppy seeds
Instructions
- Prepare Sweet Potatoes: Preheat your air fryer or oven to 400°F. Peel the sweet potatoes and finely dice them using a vegetable chopper or a sharp knife for uniform pieces.
- Roast Sweet Potatoes: Toss the diced sweet potatoes with olive oil, salt, and black pepper in a bowl until evenly coated. Spread them in the air fryer basket and roast for 14-18 minutes, stirring a few times to prevent burning, until golden and fork tender. If using an oven, roast on a sheet pan for approximately 30 minutes.
- Cook Pasta: Boil bowtie noodles in salted water according to package instructions, cooking them 1-2 minutes less to achieve al dente texture. Drain the noodles but do not rinse to ensure the dressing adheres well.
- Wilt Spinach and Combine: Add the warm cooked noodles to a large mixing bowl and immediately fold in the spinach so it wilts slightly with the residual heat.
- Add Remaining Salad Ingredients: Gently fold in the roasted sweet potatoes, crumbled goat cheese, cubed sharp cheddar, roasted pumpkin seeds, fresh thyme leaves, and dried cranberries into the pasta and spinach mixture. Toss everything together evenly.
- Make Maple Vinaigrette: In a mason jar or small bowl, combine olive oil, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, salt, Dijon mustard, and poppy seeds. Shake or whisk vigorously until well combined.
- Toss Salad and Serve: Pour the maple vinaigrette over the salad and toss gently to coat all ingredients. Serve the salad warm or at room temperature for best flavor.
Notes
- Store leftover salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Keep the dressing and pumpkin seeds separate from the salad until just before serving to maintain freshness and crunch.
- To save time, you can roast the sweet potatoes in the oven if you don’t have an air fryer.
- Using warm pasta helps wilt the spinach and allows the dressing to cling better to the noodles.
