Fall Harvest Pasta Salad

My Fall Pasta Salad is an easy meal prep lunch full of seasonal produce. It won't get soggy and has all my favorite harvest veggies!

Most of us think pasta salad is a summer food, but I disagree. Yes, a pesto chicken pasta salad or kale Caesar pasta salad hits during the summer months, but I don't see why fall can't have its own version. So in defense of the pasta salad, I made this fall harvest pasta salad.

What makes this a fall pasta salad? We're using lots of seasonal produce like roasted Brussels sprouts, butternut squash and kale. Turkey sausage is our protein of choice, and I add cranberries, pumpkin seeds and Parmesan for some more autumnal flair. Once you dress this will my maple Dijon vinaigrette, I promise you'll be obsessed with the idea of fall pasta salads. It's similar to my kale harvest salad, but with chewy bites of ditalini pasta in every bite.

Why This Recipe Is Dietitian Approved

1. Balanced salad. This fall pasta salad has protein, fibre, healthy fats and carbs, so it works well as a full meal or satisfying side.
2. Seasonal flavours. We're working in all the best seasonal produce into this fall harvest salad. The maple Dijon vinaigrette really lets the flavors shine!
3. Meal prep friendly. This fall pasta salad uses sturdy veggies that won't get soggy. You can meal prep this for easy lunches and trust that it'll hold up well.

Ingredients

Pasta. I find small pasta works best in this recipe as then you can easily eat it with a spoon and get a bite of every single thing. I decided to use ditalini rigati, but any pasta such as orzo, or even pearl couscous will work if you are looking for a smaller shape. 

Turkey sausage. This is a lean source of protein that's still packed with flavour. I like making big salads like this that have a source of protein so they can act as an entire meal (perfect to prep for a busy week), however if you are making this as a side dish you can easily leave off the turkey sausage (this will help increase the storage time as well).

Butternut squash. The ultimate fall vegetable that brings the perfect amount of sweetness to this salad. Squash is also rich in vitamin C and fibre.

Brussels sprouts. You can't have a fall recipe without this nutrient-dense, cruciferous veggie! I love finely chopping (or even shredding) my brussel sprouts to get them as small as possible. This helps them get nice and crispy while also helping to minimize their strong flavour.

Kale. Curly kale works best in this recipe. I always make sure to use only the leaves (and not the stems) and chop up the leaves VERY finely to help make this a scoopable salad.

Red onion. Normally, I'm not a huge raw red onion fan, however by dicing them up very finely they add the perfect amount of flavour without being too overpowering.

Dried cranberries. The perfect pop of sweetness to balance out the earthy flavours of kale and brussel sprouts.

Parmesan cheese. I love using a strong cheese such as freshly grated parmesan or aged cheddar for a rich and nutty flavour.

Pumpkin seeds. For iron, fiber, protein AND crunch! 

Maple Dijon dressing. We combine olive oil, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, and Dijon mustard for the perfectly sweet and tangy salad dressing.

The complete ingredient list with measurements can be found in the recipe card below. 

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400F and prepare a large sheet pan.
2. Cook your pasta according to package instructions. Once cooked, drain and place in the fridge or freezer to allow it to fully cool.

3. While the pasta is cooking add the diced butternut squash and sliced brussels sprouts to the pan. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and black pepper. Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until the brussel sprouts are crispy and the butternut squash begins to brown. Once cooked, allow to cool.

4. While the veggies are roasting- remove the sausages from the casing by using a sharp knife to gently slice one side of the casing to remove the meat. Cook the turkey sausage until no longer pink in colour. Allow to cool. 

5. Add the kale to a large salad bowl, drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and gently massage the leaves to soften them. 

6. Add the cooled pasta to the kale base. Top with roasted veggies, turkey sausage crumbles, red onion, parmesan cheese, dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds. 

7. To make your dressing: add olive oil, maple syrup, dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, salt and black pepper to a large mason jar and whisk (or shake jar) until fully combined.

8. Drizzle dressing over the salad and toss to combine. 

Substitutions and Variations

Missing ingredients? Try these:

• Turkey sausage: swap for another protein of choice. For a vegetarian option, try chickpeas.
• Butternut squash: swap for pumpkin or sweet potato for another high fibre, autumnal veggie. All three of these options are great sources of vitamin A.
• Dried cranberries: swap for dried cherries, raisins or pomegranate seeds for a hint of sweetness.
• Parmesan: swap for aged cheddar or feta.
• Pumpkin seeds: swap for chopped walnuts, slivered almonds or crispy onions for some crunch.
• Kale: swap for spinach or even arugula. Note that both of these options tend to get soggier quicker, decreasing the storage to only 1-2 days.

I also love adding chopped apples or pear for another bit of freshness and sweetness! Note that this will decrease the storage time, but you can also add them right before serving.

Equipment

• Vegetable chopper (optional)
• Sheet pan
• Mixing bowl

Storage

This fall pasta salad will stay fresh in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container. 

If you would like to increase the storage time to up to 5-6 days, I recommend leaving the turkey sausage off of the salad and adding protein fresh every 1-2 days.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Fall Recipes

Want more recipes for fall salads? Try these:

• Crunchy Kale Salad with Pomegranate
• Bang Bang Roasted Broccoli Salad
• Homemade Kale Crunch Salad
• Kale Harvest Salad with Maple Dijon Vinaigrette

📖 Recipe

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4.91 from 11 votes

Fall Harvest Pasta Salad

My Fall Pasta Salad is an easy meal prep lunch full of seasonal produce. It won't get soggy and has all my favorite harvest veggies!

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr

Total Time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course: Lunch, Main Course, Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: meal prep, salads

Servings: 6

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• 12 oz dry ditalini rigati pasta 450g or 6 cups cooked
• 2 cup diced butternut squash fresh or frozen will both work
• 2 cups thinly sliced brussel sprouts
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoon olive oil divided
• 1 lb mild turkey sausage casing removed
• 3 heaping cups curly kale leaves finely chopped (about ½ of a large bunch)
• 1 cup red onion diced (about ½ of one large red onion)
• 1 cup parmesan cheese shredded
• ½ cup dried cranberries
• ½ cup pumpkin seeds

Maple dijon vinaigrette:

• ½ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 3 tablespoon old fashioned dijon mustard
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400F and prepare a large sheet pan.
• Cook your pasta according to package instructions. Once cooked, drain and place in the fridge or freezer to allow it to fully cool.
• While the pasta is cooking add the diced butternut squash and sliced brussels sprouts to the pan. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and black pepper. Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until the brussel sprouts are crispy and the butternut squash begins to brown. Once cooked, allow to cool.
• While the veggies are roasting, remove the sausages from the casing by using a sharp knife to gently slice one side of the casing to remove the meat. Cook the turkey sausage until no longer pink in colour. Allow to cool.
• Add the kale to a large salad bowl, drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and gently massage the leaves to soften them.
• Add the cooled pasta to the kale base. Top with roasted veggies, turkey sausage crumbles, red onion, parmesan cheese, dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds.
• To make your dressing: add olive oil, maple syrup, dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, salt and black pepper to a large mason jar and whisk (or shake jar) until fully combined.
• Drizzle dressing over the salad and toss to combine.

Notes

*I have included an estimation of the nutrition information for this recipe below. However, always remember a recipe is so much more than just nutritional content and these numbers do not need to dictate your food choices. Please don't forget that both your body and soul need nourishment! The owner of this website is not liable for this estimation.

Nutrition

Serving: 2cups | Calories: 743kcal | Carbohydrates: 73g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 21g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 68mg | Sodium: 1011mg | Potassium: 774mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 5925IU | Vitamin C: 44mg | Calcium: 303mg | Iron: 3mg

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