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A wooden bowl with winter pasta salad. A wooden serving utensil sits inside the bowl. there is a red cloth in the top left of the picture and a small white plate with some salad on the bottom left.

Winter Pasta Salad with Roasted Butternut and Kale

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Winter Pasta Salad with Roasted Butternut and Kale is an unexpected and comforting salad recipe perfect for mixing things up during the colder months.

  • Total Time: 55 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale

For the dressing

  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper

For the salad

  • 2 cups dried orecchiette
  • 2 cups cubed butternut squash (1 inch cubes)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 cup Parmesan shards, roughly crumbled
  • 3 cups baby kale
  • ½ cup Pangrattato, plus more for serving

Instructions

  • PREPARE DRESSING: In a small bowl combine olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, salt and pepper and whisk until well combined. Set aside until it’s time to assemble the salad.
  • COOK ORECCHIETTE: Cook the orecchiette according to the package directions. While the orecchiette is cooking, continue with the next step to cooking the squash. After the orecchiette is done cooking, drain in a colander and rinse the orecchiette with water (this will help them to not stick together while you wait for the squash to finish cooking). Set pasta aside until ready to assemble and serve the salad.
  • ROAST SQUASH: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Prepare a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the cubed butternut squash on the baking sheet and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, ¼ teaspoon of salt and ⅛ teaspoon of ground black pepper. Use your hands to coat the squash with oil and seasonings and then arrange the squash evenly on the baking sheet. Roast squash for 20 minutes until tender. Allow squash to cool for at least 5 minutes before assembling the salad.
  • ASSEMBLE SALAD: You have two options for assembling and serving the salad: 1) In one large bowl: In a large salad bowl, combine the cooked orecchiette, butternut squash, and prepared dressing. Toss until well coated. Then add the parmesan shards and baby kale and toss the ingredients together until well combined. Sprinkle the Pangrattato over top and serve immediately. 2) Individual servings: To prepare individual servings, you will combine the cooked orecchiette, butternut squash and dressing together in a medium bowl and toss until well coated. Then to individual salad plates or bowls, add 1 ⅓ cup of the pasta and squash mixture, 1-2 tablespoons of the parmesan shards, ½ cup of baby kale and 1 tablespoon of the Pangrattato. Serve immediately.

 

Diners can add extra Pangrattato to their portions of salad to their taste.

Notes

Cook time does not include the time to prepare the Pangrattato, which would add another 15-20 minutes to the total cook time.

  • Author: Christine
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Category: Salad
  • Method: Stovetop and By Hand
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1.5 cup serving
  • Calories: 413
  • Sugar: 4.3 g
  • Sodium: 849.8 mg
  • Fat: 21.6 g
  • Carbohydrates: 44.1 g
  • Protein: 12.4 g
  • Cholesterol: 9.6 mg