Broccoli Grape Pasta Salad

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Brought this salad to a potluck and people were BEGGING for the recipe!! (Reader Comment) The best ever BROCCOLI PASTA SALAD. Quick to make, 5-ingredient dressing, and sure to be a hit! Via chelseasmessyapron.com

Broccoli Grape Pasta Salad showcases broccoli, farfalle pasta, bacon, grapes, and pecans. The salad is set off with a creamy mayo-based dressing that is naturally sweetened and loaded with flavor!

Try the classic Broccoli Salad or this Lemon-Poppyseed Broccoli Salad next!

Delicious and healthy side dish in a bowl, ready to be enjoyed.

Nothing screams summer to me like creamy potluck salads, and today we’re combining two of my favorites– pasta salad and broccoli salad– into one unforgettable side dish. Just like when I combined coleslaw and macaroni salad to create this Macaroni Coleslaw Salad, it’s the best of two worlds in one salad! 

Pasta salad plus broccoli salad makes a combo you’ll be craving all summer long.

Mixing the ingredients and pouring dressing onto the broccoli pasta grape salad.

Ingredients in this Broccoli Grape Pasta Salad

  • Farfalle pasta: Cook farfalle (bow-tie pasta) according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking and keep the pasta from sticking together.
  • Broccoli: We like the broccoli raw, but you can blanch it first if desired — more on this below.
  • Grapes: Red grapes add a nice color contrast and slightly sweeter taste, but green grapes would also work.
  • Red onion: The onion adds a nice tang to the salad. If you’re sensitive to the flavor of raw red onion, I have a hack that’ll help tone down the bite. See the quick tip below.  
  • Pecans: The pecans add a great nutty savoriness to the salad. We toast the pecans in a skillet to develop a richer flavor.
  • Bacon: Because it makes everything better.  Add at the end to avoid soggy bacon. Even better, serve it on the side as a topper for the salad.

QUICK TIP

If the bite of onions bothers you, here’s a way to tame that strong flavor. Soak the onions in ice water (with a pinch of salt added) for 10 minutes. Drain thoroughly and dry before adding to the salad.

Dressing

This simple dressing is naturally sweetened with honey instead of tons of sugar. There’s no strong mayo flavor, thanks to the freshness of the lemon juice, the tang of the sour cream, the pizzazz of Dijon mustard, the sweetness of the honey, and the acidity of the red wine vinegar. Whisk everything together and it’s ready to be tossed with the salad.

Should I cook the broccoli first?

Raw broccoli is pretty standard in vegetable salads, and this salad is no exception. The dressing and chilling time does tone down the broccoli. You’ll also want to make sure to chop the florets into small pieces for the best possible salad.

If you prefer, the broccoli can be blanched before adding it to the salad. Add the florets to a pot of boiling water and cook for 1 minute, then transfer to an ice bath to stop the cooking. Drain the cooled broccoli thoroughly before using, or it will water down the salad.

Overhead view of vibrant, healthy dish in a bowl, beautifully prepared and ready for serving.

Broccoli Grape Pasta Salad tips 

This salad is a classic pasta salad, lots of fruits/veggies, and a thick and creamy mayo-based dressing. Below are a few tips that take this salad from good to wow!

  1. Thoroughly dry the ingredients. Don’t add the dressing to wet ingredients. If the pasta is wet from being cooked and the grapes are wet from being washed, it will water down the salad and make the dressing too liquidy.
  2. Toast the pecans. This is a small step that adds a lot of flavor and doesn’t take much extra effort. Fill a dry skillet with an even layer of nuts and cook on low heat, stirring constantly, for 5-7 minutes or until fragrant. Watch the nuts very carefully as it is easy to scorch and burn them.
  3. Mix gently. Use a silicone spatula to gently mix the ingredients so the pasta doesn’t fall apart and the grapes don’t squish. A spatula like this one is a cook’s best friend at a time like this.
  4. Let the salad sit and chill. It’s important to let the ingredients meld with the dressing in the fridge for bit. Plan ahead so the salad has time to chill completely before serving.

More potluck salads 

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Broccoli Grape Pasta Salad

5 from 4 votes
Broccoli Grape Pasta Salad showcases broccoli, farfalle pasta, bacon, grapes, and pecans. The salad is set off with a creamy mayo-based dressing that is naturally sweetened and loaded with flavor.
Delicious and healthy side dish in a bowl, ready to be enjoyed.
Print Recipe

Broccoli Grape Pasta Salad

Delicious and healthy side dish in a bowl, ready to be enjoyed.
5 from 4 votes
Broccoli Grape Pasta Salad showcases broccoli, farfalle pasta, bacon, grapes, and pecans. The salad is set off with a creamy mayo-based dressing that is naturally sweetened and loaded with flavor.
Course lunch, Salad
Cuisine American
Keyword Broccoli and Grape Pasta Salad
Prep Time 20 minutes
Chilling time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 8 -10 as a side
Chelsea Lords
Calories 331kcal
Cost $6.23

Ingredients

Salad

  • 4-5 cups fresh broccoli (~1 pound or 2 stalks)
  • 8 ounces mini farfalle (bowtie) pasta noodles (1/2 of 1, 16 ounce package)
  • 2 cups halved grapes
  • 1 cup chopped pecans* Note 1
  • 1/2 cup dried coarsely chopped cooked bacon
  • 1/3 cup diced red onion Note 2

Dressing

  • 3/4 cup regular full-fat mayo (I recommend Hellman's/Best Foods)
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 and 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions

  • PASTA: Prepare the pasta according to package directions. Make sure to generously salt the water. The salt will season the pasta and add a lot of flavor. Once cooked al dente, drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
  • BROCCOLI: Remove the stems from the broccoli and cut into small bite-sized pieces.
  • SALAD: Combine the chopped broccoli, cooked pasta, and 2 cups halved grapes in a large bowl.
  • DRESSING: In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients: 3/4 cup full-fat mayo, 1/4 cup sour cream, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1 and 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 3 tablespoons honey, 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Whisk until smooth.
  • DRESS SALAD: Combine the dressing with the grapes, broccoli, and pasta. Cover and chill for 30 minutes to 2 hours.
  • FINISHING: Right before serving add the 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans (See Note 1), 1/2 cup cooked and crumbled bacon, and 1/3 cup diced red onion (See Note 2).
  • STORAGE: Salad is best eaten the same day it is made.

Video

Recipe Notes

Note 1:Pecans: I like to toast the pecans. To do this, spread them evenly in a dry skillet over low heat. Stir around for 5-7 minutes or until fragrant. Be careful because the nuts can easily go from toasted to scorched.
Note 2: Red onion: To take away the bite of the red onion, peel and dice the red onion and then submerge the pieces in a bowl of cold or ice water. Let sit for at least ten minutes, stirring once or twice, before draining and using in this salad.

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 10as a side | Calories: 331kcal | Carbohydrates: 30.9g | Protein: 5.3g | Fat: 21.6g | Cholesterol: 9.5mg | Sodium: 124.1mg | Fiber: 2.4g | Sugar: 11.5g

We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed.

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Recipe Rating




16 Comments

  1. Another GREAT recipe! Delicious, colourful and soo easy to make. All my guests asked for the recipe. Many Thanks for your wonderful recipes.

    1. Hey Carolyn! Thank you so much for your comment! 🙂 I’m thrilled this was so well enjoyed! Thank you!

  2. 5 stars
    This was excellent! I left out the craisons because I figured it was sweet enough. It was good even without the dressing. A Keeper for sure!

  3. 5 stars
    I’m always looking for simple and easy recipes to make for myself and when u saw your salads I fell in love with them. Than you for sharing and making my life heaven.

  4. Can the broccoli grape pasta salad be made the night before? It looks sooooo good that I decided to make it for Easter.

  5. Hi! Your Broccoli Grape salad was one of my absolute favorites. But it seems you have updated it. It no longer calls for mandarin oranges, it calls for bacon and the dressing is now dairy. The original recipe was non dairy. I used to come to your page to find it each time I made it. I’m super disappointed that it’s not here anymore. I need to bring a salad tonight as a guest, and was hoping to bring this. Is there someway you can make the original recipe available again? Thanks!

    1. Hey Leah, I’m not sure if you’re thinking about a different recipe. This one has always had dairy/mayo in it!

  6. 5 stars
    Chelsea
    This awesome recipe
    The group loved no leftovers it’s
    Fast easy very delicious
    Thanks for sharing your recipes
    Again your a awesome blogger
    Five stars two thumbs up
    Thanks for delicious superb recipes ✌️✌️✌️

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