Fall Pasta Salad

5 from 3 votes

Prep Time25

Cook Time25

Total Time50

Servings: as a main (6-10 as a side)

Calories: 592kcal

1 small butternut squash about 2 lbs or 4 cups, peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes
1 red onion diced into ½ inch pieces
2 tablespoon avocado oil divided
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
12 oz thin cut bacon (or ¾ cup of bacon bits)
10 oz small shaped pasta (I used brown rice spirals)
4 oz goat cheese
½ cup pepitas dry roasted
½ cup dried cranberries
2 tablespoon fresh thyme finely chopped (optional)

Roast the vegetables.Toss the diced squash and onion with 1 tablespoon avocado oil and salt. Place on a large lined baking sheet and roast at 400 °F until just tender, about 20-25 minutes, stirring halfway through.
Meanwhile, cook the bacon using your preferred method (or you can substitute with ¾ cup of bacon bits and skip this step).
Cool and chop into pieces.
Add all of the ingredients for the dressing to a small bowl and whisk to combine.
Bring generously salted water to a boil and add the pasta. Cook as per the package directions for 2-3 minutes longer than it says for al dente.
Drain pasta, toss with a bit of avocado oil (remaining 1 tablespoon) and spread out onto a baking sheet for 5 minutes to cool slightly.
Add the pasta to a large mixing bowl and mix with 2 tablespoons cup of the dressing.
Add the roasted vegetables, crumbled goat cheese, bacon, and ¼ cup of dressing to the bowl with the pasta and toss to combine. *I like to reserve about 2 tablespoons of the dressing to add just before serving.
Chill or serve immediately. Before serving, allow to sit at room temperature for 15-30 minutes (if it was refrigerated). Then toss with the reserved dressing, sprinkle with additional thyme and serve.

Leftovers

Store leftover salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.