There’s something about the cozy sweetness of roasted sweet potatoes paired with tangy cranberries and sharp cheddar that instantly lifts your spirits. This Festive Sweet Potato Pasta Salad Recipe is the perfect dish to brighten up any holiday gathering or winter meal with its vibrant colors and comforting flavors.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
From the very first time I tossed this salad together for a holiday potluck, I knew it was something special. It’s not just a salad—it’s a celebration on a plate with its mix of textures, flavors, and festive vibes.
- Seasonal Flavors: Sweet potatoes and cranberries bring the perfect balance of sweetness and tartness, making it feel like a holiday treat.
- Easy to Make: Once your sweet potatoes are roasted and pasta cooked, it’s all about tossing and whisking—super straightforward.
- Beautiful Presentation: The colorful mix of apple, cheese, arugula, and nuts makes it a showstopper for guests.
- Versatile and Customizable: Feel free to play with the ingredients to suit your taste and dietary needs.
Ingredients & Why They Work
This Festive Sweet Potato Pasta Salad Recipe relies on a thoughtful combination of ingredients that harmonize beautifully. Each adds its own unique note, turning a simple salad into a comforting, festive masterpiece.
- Sweet Potatoes: Roasting them with cinnamon brings out incredible warmth and sweetness that’s hard to resist.
- Christmas Shape Pasta: Adding charm and a bit of fun with festive pasta shapes elevates the salad’s appeal.
- Honey Crisp Apple: Its crisp texture and natural sweetness provide a refreshing contrast.
- White Cheddar Cheese: Cubed for savory sharpness that balances the sweeter elements.
- Dried Cranberries: Tart and chewy, these burst with holiday spirit and a bit of tang.
- Walnuts: Chopped for crunch and a subtle nutty flavor.
- Red Onion: Finely diced to add a mild pungency without overpowering the dish.
- Baby Arugula: Peppery greens bring freshness and a bit of bite.
- Olive Oil & Balsamic Vinegar: Create the base for a zesty, balanced dressing to tie everything together.
- Dijon Mustard & Maple Syrup: These add a lovely tang and subtle sweetness for complexity.
- Garlic & Salt: Enhance all flavors without stealing the show.
Make It Your Way
I love how flexible this Festive Sweet Potato Pasta Salad Recipe is. You can easily tweak it to suit your crowd, whether you want to amp up the crunch, swap out ingredients for dietary needs, or add a little extra zing.
- Variation: I sometimes swap walnuts for pecans just to mix up the flavor profile, which adds a lovely buttery note each time.
- Make It Vegan: Replace the white cheddar with a tasty vegan cheese or omit it altogether and add more nuts for richness.
- Add More Veggies: Roasted Brussels sprouts or roasted butternut squash cubes work wonderfully if you want to bulk it up with extra greens.
- Spice It Up: A pinch of cayenne in the dressing wakes things up without overwhelming the other flavors.
Step-by-Step: How I Make Festive Sweet Potato Pasta Salad Recipe
Step 1: Roasting the Sweet Potatoes Just Right
Start by preheating your oven to 400°F (200°C) and spraying a baking sheet with non-stick spray—this helps prevent sticking without adding extra oil. Peel and dice the sweet potatoes into bite-size cubes, then toss them in a bowl with cinnamon. Spreading them evenly on your sheet pan is key so they roast uniformly. Roast for about 35 minutes, turning halfway if you like, until they’re tender and caramelized at the edges. Let them cool completely before adding to the salad.
Step 2: Cooking the Pasta and Prepping the Dressing
Cook your Christmas-shaped pasta according to the package instructions—al dente works best to maintain texture. Once cooked, drain and rinse under cold water to cool and stop the cooking process. For the dressing, whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, minced garlic, maple syrup, and salt in a small bowl until smooth. Set this aside to let the flavors marry.
Step 3: Tossing Together the Festive Mix
In a large bowl, combine your cooled roasted sweet potatoes, cooked pasta, diced honey crisp apple, cubed white cheddar, dried cranberries, chopped walnuts, finely diced red onion, and fresh baby arugula. Pour over that luscious dressing and give everything a gentle but thorough toss, making sure each bite is bursting with vibrant flavor.
Top Tip
Having made this Festive Sweet Potato Pasta Salad Recipe a few times, I realized that a couple of small tweaks make all the difference in outcome. Here are the top tips that helped it turn out delicious every time I served it.
- Let Sweet Potatoes Cool: Adding hot sweet potatoes to the salad wilts the arugula and melts the cheese—wait until they’re fully cooled.
- Use Crisp Apples: Honey Crisp apples are my go-to—they keep that fresh crunch even after mixing.
- Dressing Balance: Taste your dressing before tossing—sometimes a little extra maple syrup or vinegar can brighten it perfectly.
- Roast Evenly: Cut sweet potatoes into similar-sized pieces to avoid some being undercooked while others burn.
How to Serve Festive Sweet Potato Pasta Salad Recipe
Garnishes
I often finish my salads with a sprinkle of extra chopped walnuts and a few fresh arugula leaves for a pop of green. Sometimes, a dusting of freshly ground black pepper or a little shaved white cheddar curls on top brings that final visual and flavor touch that impresses guests.
Side Dishes
This salad pairs beautifully with roasted chicken, turkey, or even a simple grilled mushroom for a vegetarian option. For holiday spreads, I love serving it alongside crusty artisan bread and a creamy dip to round out the meal.
Creative Ways to Present
For festive occasions, I like to serve this pasta salad in individual clear glasses or mason jars layered with the colorful ingredients so everyone gets to admire the vibrant layers. It’s a fun way to turn a casual side into a party centerpiece.
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
After mixing the salad, refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container. It holds up well for 2-3 days, though the arugula might soften slightly. I usually toss the salad again gently before serving to refresh the flavors.
Freezing
Freezing this salad isn’t the best option due to the fresh components and dressing. The sweet potatoes and pasta can get mushy after thawing, so I recommend enjoying it fresh or refrigerated.
Reheating
If you prefer your sweet potatoes warm, you can reheat them separately before assembling the salad. Otherwise, this dish is best served chilled or at room temperature for maximum freshness and crunch.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Absolutely! While I love the charm of Christmas-shaped pasta for the festive touch, any short pasta such as penne, fusilli, or farfalle will work just fine and hold the dressing well.
You can store the Festive Sweet Potato Pasta Salad Recipe in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The flavors tend to meld beautifully, though keep in mind the arugula might get a bit softer over time.
Definitely! Roasting the sweet potatoes and cooking the pasta a day ahead makes assembling super quick. Just keep the dressing separate and add the arugula right before serving to keep it crisp.
If you want to swap out white cheddar, try a sharp gouda or a tangy feta for a slightly different flavor profile. For dairy-free options, some vegan cheeses or even nutritional yeast sprinkled on top can work well.
Final Thoughts
This Festive Sweet Potato Pasta Salad Recipe has become one of my go-to dishes when I want to add a little joy and color to the table. It’s approachable, delicious, and carries that Christmas cheer in every bite. Give it a try—you might find it becoming your new holiday classic too!
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Festive Sweet Potato Pasta Salad Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings
- Category: Salad
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
A festive and colorful Christmas Pasta Salad featuring roasted cinnamon sweet potatoes, Christmas-shaped pasta, fresh apples, white cheddar cheese, dried cranberries, walnuts, and baby arugula, all tossed in a flavorful maple-balsamic dressing. Perfect for holiday gatherings or as a vibrant side dish.
Ingredients
Salad
- 2 sweet potatoes, diced and roasted
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 8 oz cooked pasta, Christmas shapes
- 1 Honey Crisp apple, diced
- 6 oz white cheddar cheese, cubed
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup walnuts, chopped
- ½ small red onion, finely diced
- 2 handfuls baby arugula
Dressing
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a sheet pan with non-stick spray and set aside.
- Prepare Sweet Potatoes: Peel and dice the sweet potatoes and transfer them to a bowl. Toss with cinnamon until evenly coated.
- Roast Sweet Potatoes: Spread the diced sweet potatoes evenly on the prepared sheet pan. Roast in the oven for 35 minutes or until tender and slightly caramelized. Remove from oven and let cool.
- Cook Pasta: Boil the Christmas-shaped pasta according to package instructions. Drain and allow it to cool to room temperature.
- Make Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, maple syrup, and salt until well combined. Set the dressing aside.
- Combine Salad Ingredients: In a large bowl, add the cooled roasted sweet potatoes, cooked and cooled pasta, diced apple, cubed white cheddar cheese, dried cranberries, chopped walnuts, finely diced red onion, and baby arugula.
- Toss Salad: Pour the prepared dressing over the salad ingredients and gently toss until everything is well coated and evenly mixed.
- Serve: Serve the Christmas Pasta Salad immediately as a festive side or main dish.
Notes
- Roasting the sweet potatoes ahead of time allows them to cool and develop a sweeter flavor.
- Using Christmas-shaped pasta adds a fun, seasonal touch to the dish.
- Substitute walnuts with pecans or almonds for different nutty flavors.
- For a creamier dressing, add a tablespoon of mayonnaise or Greek yogurt.
- This salad can be served chilled or at room temperature based on preference.
- Make sure the pasta and sweet potatoes are fully cooled before combining to prevent wilting the arugula.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 280 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg
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