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Autumn Acorn Squash Pasta Salad

This pasta salad is perfect for a weeknight dinner or a fall flavored lunch.
I picked up my girls yesterday from school and just as we pulled into the garage, a Christmas song came on over the radio.

Yesterday was November 1st.

I realize there are many that believe the first day of November is the time to welcome in Christmas. I say go ahead and jump right in to that magic.

I just can’t though. I love Christmas with all my heart, but the autumn season is so beautiful and I want to hold on to its beauty and wonder as long as possible. So, for me, the magical holiday will just have to wait until I put away my jack-o-lanterns and digest my Thanksgiving turkey.

In the meantime, while my wardrobe is still transitioning, so are my cravings for certain foods. Did you ever notice that our appetites seem to mimic the season? Where summer is a time we enjoy refreshing vegetables like tomatoes and cucumbers, winter is a time to savor more hearty ones like potatoes. In autumn, it is almost like we get the best of both worlds as we enjoy the last tastes of a summer harvest while welcoming a bounty of fall crops that are at their peak season, like acorn squash.Fall Farmers Market School Appreciation Lunch #farmersmarketlunch #farmersmarketparty #teacherappreciationlunch #fallpartyideas #harvestpartyIf dinnertime has me stumped, the easiest crowd-pleasing meal to throw together is a pasta salad loaded with colorful seasonal veggies. My Autumn Pasta Salad is crowned with roasted acorn squash and tossed with fresh spinach and crisp, tender brussel sprouts. Slicing and roasting this squash is an easy way to enjoy it, turning it into these golden sliced crescent shapes with some caramelized parts from a sprinkling of brown sugar. 

The vinaigrette makes it really special and gives it a punch of garlic combined with the delicate, woodsy aroma of marjoram.I like to provide a variety of toppings like crunchy pepitas, feta, or dried cranberries so each person at the table can customize the pasta salad to their own taste.
What is so nice about a pasta salad like this is that you can enjoy it warm or cold. It’s so versatile! In fact, it was a perfect addition to the Fall Farmers Market School Appreciation Lunch I recently hosted. Get those details here.

For other ways to enjoy fall seasonal veggies in a salad, check out my Autumn Kale Salad with Roasted Grapes and Butternut Squash.

What seasonal vegetables are you enjoying right now?

Autumn Acorn Squash Pasta Salad

This pasta salad is perfect for a weeknight dinner or a fall flavored lunch.

Vinaigrette

  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • juice of one lemon
  • 4 garlic cloves (minced )
  • 1 tbsp marjoram
  • dash or two of tobassco
  • pinch of salt and pepper

Salad

  • 1 lb Rotini pasta (cooked al dente)
  • 2 acorn squash (halved, seeded, and sliced into 1 inch thick crescents)
  • 1 lb brussel sprouts (trimmed and cut in half)
  • olive oil (for drizzling)
  • salt and pepper (to taste, for sprinkling)
  • 1-2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 8 ounces baby spinach (adjust quantities to liking)

Toppings

  • pepitas or roasted pumpkin seeds
  • crumbled feta
  • dried cranberries

Vinaigrette

  1. Combine all ingredients in a jar and shake vigorously. Refrigerate until ready to use. Best if made the day before. 

Salad

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

  2. Cook pasta according to al dente directions on the box. Drain. Add to a large serving bowl. Pour vinaigrette over and gently toss to evenly coat. 

  3. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. 

  4. Lay the acorn squash crescents on one sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Gently toss to coat evenly. 

  5. Sprinkle a very small amount of brown sugar on each crescent (about 1-2 tbsp) on the squash. 

  6. Place in the oven on the bottom rack and roast for 20-25 minutes until tender. 

  7. Scatter the brussel sprouts on the other sheet. Drizzle with olive, salt and pepper. Gently toss to coat evenly.

  8. Place on the center rack of the oven and roast for about 20 minutes or until they are crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. 

  9. Remove both vegetables from the oven and allow to cool for a bit 

  10. Add the brussel sprouts and the spinach leaves to the bowl and toss to combine with the pasta. 

  11. Lay the squash across the top of the salad. 

  12. Serve the dish immediately while still warm or cover and refrigerate and enjoy it later as a cold dish. 

  13. To serve, dish the pasta topped with a few crescents of acorn squash. Sprinkle with pepitas, feta and dried cranberries if desired. 

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Comments

  12. candy says

    Good to see how easy this salad is to make and throw together. I would serve this as a whole meal for my family and they would love it.

    Reply

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