Are you looking to bring a vibrant, exciting, and absolutely delicious new side dish to your Thanksgiving or holiday table this year? A dish that’s a perfect, modern contrast to the traditional casseroles, and is bursting with the absolute best flavors of the fall season? This incredible, show-stopping Thanksgiving Pasta Salad is the unforgettable recipe you’ve been searching for.
This isn’t just another pasta salad; it’s a masterpiece of flavors, colors, and textures. We combine sweet and savory roasted Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes with chewy pasta and tender kale. This hearty base is then tossed with crunchy pistachios, tart dried cranberries, and a luxuriously creamy, tangy, and nutty tahini dressing. It’s a make-ahead marvel that is guaranteed to be the surprise hit of your holiday feast.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview: The Perfect Modern Holiday Side Dish
What makes this Thanksgiving Pasta Salad a new holiday must-have is its incredible and unique combination of fall flavors and its brilliant make-ahead convenience. The method of roasting the vegetables brings out their deep, caramelized sweetness, while the clever technique of using the heat from the pasta to wilt the kale is a fantastic time-saver. The homemade tahini dressing is the true star, providing a rich, creamy, and tangy element that ties everything together beautifully. It’s a healthy-ish, satisfying, and absolutely beautiful addition to any feast.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 50 minutes |
| Active Prep Time | 20 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Servings | 8-10 |
The Essential Ingredients for This Fall Pasta Salad
This recipe uses a symphony of fresh, seasonal ingredients and pantry staples to create its stunning result.
- The Roasted Vegetables: This is the heart of the salad’s fall flavor.
- Brussels Sprouts & Sweet Potatoes: This is the ultimate sweet and savory fall duo. Roasting them at a high heat is crucial—it transforms them, creating deep, caramelized, and slightly crispy edges and a tender, sweet interior.
- Fresh Herbs: A classic holiday blend of fresh sage and thyme infuses the roasting vegetables with an incredible, aromatic, and savory flavor.
- The Creamy Tahini Dressing: This is the unique and luscious element that ties everything together.
- Tahini: A smooth paste made from ground sesame seeds, tahini is a staple in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cooking. It provides an unbelievably rich, creamy, and nutty flavor to the dressing.
- Quick-Pickled Red Onion: We start the dressing by letting the finely diced red onion sit in the red wine vinegar. This simple step “quick-pickles” the onion, mellowing its sharp bite and turning it a beautiful, bright pink color.
- Pasta Water: Don’t discard it! The starchy water that the pasta cooks in is “liquid gold.” A few tablespoons are the secret to creating a perfectly smooth, creamy, and emulsified dressing.
- The Salad Base & Mix-Ins:
- Rotini Pasta: A sturdy, spiral-shaped pasta like rotini is the perfect choice, as its nooks and crannies are perfect for capturing the creamy dressing.
- Tuscan Kale: Also known as Lacinato or dinosaur kale, this variety is more tender than curly kale and has a deep, earthy flavor.
- Roasted Pistachios & Dried Cranberries: The perfect final touches for texture and flavor! The pistachios add a wonderful, nutty crunch, and the cranberries provide a sweet, tart, and chewy bite.
Step-by-Step to the Perfect Thanksgiving Salad
This recipe is all about preparing your components and then tossing them together at the end for the freshest result.
Step 1: Roast the Fall Vegetables
First, preheat your oven to a hot 450°F (230°C).
In a large bowl, toss the halved or quartered Brussels sprouts, the diced sweet potatoes, the 1/4 cup of olive oil, the chopped fresh sage, the chopped fresh thyme, 2 teaspoons of kosher salt, and several grinds of black pepper. Toss until every vegetable is evenly coated.
Spread the vegetables in a single, even layer on a large, rimmed baking sheet.
Pro Tip: Giving the vegetables plenty of space on the pan is the key to getting them beautifully roasted and caramelized, not steamed and soggy. Use two pans if you need to!
Roast for 30 to 35 minutes, flipping them halfway through, until the vegetables are tender and have beautiful, deeply browned spots. Set them aside to cool slightly.
Step 2: Cook the Pasta and Wilt the Kale
While the vegetables are roasting, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season the water generously with salt.
Add the rotini pasta and cook according to the package directions until it is al dente (tender, but still with a firm bite).
Crucial Pro Tip: Before you drain the pasta, use a mug or a liquid measuring cup to reserve at least 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta water. This is a secret ingredient for your dressing!
Immediately toss the hot, freshly drained pasta in a large bowl with the thinly sliced Tuscan kale. The residual heat from the hot pasta is the perfect, gentle way to wilt the kale, making it tender and turning it a vibrant, bright green color. Set this aside to cool completely.
Step 3: Create the Creamy Tahini Dressing
In a small bowl, add the finely diced red onion and pour in the 6 tablespoons of red wine vinegar. Let this sit for about 15 minutes. This will lightly pickle the onions, softening their flavor.
In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the 1/4 cup of tahini, 5 tablespoons of your reserved pasta water, the 4 tablespoons of olive oil, the grated garlic, the maple syrup, the Dijon mustard, the chopped thyme, the chopped sage, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, and several grinds of black pepper. Whisk until the dressing is smooth, creamy, and well combined.
Whisk the pickled onions and their vinegar into the tahini mixture until everything is combined. Taste the dressing and adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed.
Step 4: Assemble and Serve Your Masterpiece
In a large serving bowl, toss the cooled pasta and kale with the slightly cooled roasted vegetables, the 1 cup of roasted pistachios, and the 1 cup of dried cranberries.
Pour the creamy tahini dressing over the top and toss until everything is evenly and beautifully coated.
Taste the salad one last time and adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed before serving.
The Best Vibrant & Easy Thanksgiving Pasta Salad
A hearty, fall-inspired pasta salad perfect as a Thanksgiving side dish. This vegetarian recipe features rotini pasta tossed with roasted Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes, which are seasoned with fresh sage and thyme. The salad is mixed with fresh kale, crunchy pistachios, and sweet dried cranberries. A creamy and tangy tahini dressing, made with quick-pickled red onions, maple syrup, and Dijon mustard, brings all the components together.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes (includes cooling time)
- Yield: 10–12 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Roasting, Boiling
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- For the Pasta Salad:
- 1 pound Brussels sprouts, halved or quartered
- 1 pound sweet potatoes (2 small or 1 large), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound rotini pasta
- 6 ounces Tuscan kale, stems removed, leaves thinly sliced
- 1 cup roasted shelled pistachios
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- For the Tahini Dressing:
- 1/2 red onion, finely diced
- 6 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves of garlic, grated
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
Instructions
- Roast the Vegetables: Preheat the oven to 450°F. In a large bowl, toss the Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes with 1/4 cup of olive oil, 1 tablespoon each of sage and thyme, 2 teaspoons of salt, and several grinds of pepper. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 30 to 35 minutes, until tender and browned. Let cool slightly.
- Cook the Pasta: While the vegetables roast, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the rotini and cook for about 7 minutes, until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water, then drain the pasta.
- Immediately transfer the hot pasta to a large bowl and add the sliced kale. Toss until the kale turns bright green and starts to soften from the heat of the pasta. Set aside to cool completely.
- Make the Tahini Dressing: In a small bowl, combine the diced red onion and the red wine vinegar. Let it sit for about 15 minutes to lightly pickle the onions.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the tahini, 5 tablespoons of the reserved pasta water, 4 tablespoons of olive oil, the grated garlic, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon each of thyme and sage, and 1 teaspoon of salt until smooth.
- Whisk in the pickled onions and their vinegar. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Assemble the Salad: To the large bowl with the pasta and kale, add the roasted vegetables, pistachios, and cranberries. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss until everything is evenly combined. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Notes
- Cook’s Note: To make this recipe vegan, ensure you use vegan (eggless) pasta and a vegan Dijon mustard, as some wines used in Dijon production are filtered with non-vegan ingredients.
- Tossing the raw, thinly sliced kale with the hot, freshly drained pasta is a key technique that perfectly wilts the greens without overcooking them.
- Using the starchy pasta water helps to create a smooth and creamy consistency for the tahini dressing.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/10 of recipe
- Calories: 450-550
- Sugar: 18-25 g
- Sodium: 600-800 mg
- Fat: 22-28 g
- Saturated Fat: 3-5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 55-65 g
- Fiber: 8-12 g
- Protein: 10-14 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
This Thanksgiving Pasta Salad is the absolute perfect make-ahead side dish for a stress-free holiday.
- Make-Ahead (The Best Method!): For the best and freshest result, you can prepare all the components up to 2 days in advance and store them separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator. The roasted vegetables, the cooked pasta and kale mixture, and the tahini dressing can all be prepped ahead.
- Final Assembly: When you are ready to serve, simply combine all the prepared components in a large bowl with the pistachios and cranberries, toss with the dressing, and serve. The entire final assembly takes less than 5 minutes!
- Storing Leftovers: Store any leftover pasta salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The texture will be best on the first day.
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Creative Recipe Variations
This vibrant and delicious fall pasta salad is a wonderful base for your own creative touches.
- Add a Salty, Cheesy Element: For a delicious, salty kick that is wonderful with the sweet vegetables, you can toss in 1/2 cup of crumbled feta or goat cheese at the very end with the pistachios and cranberries.
- Use a Different Grain: If you want to switch it up from pasta, this salad is absolutely fantastic with a chewy, nutty ancient grain instead. Try substituting the pasta with an equal amount of cooked and cooled farro, barley, or quinoa.
- Try a Different Nut or Fruit: This salad is very adaptable. Toasted pecans or walnuts would be a great substitute for the pistachios. Chopped, dried apricots or tart cherries would also be a wonderful substitute for the dried cranberries.
Enjoy Your New Holiday Tradition!
You’ve just created a truly special side dish that is a perfect harmony of all the best flavors and textures of the fall season. This Thanksgiving Pasta Salad is a vibrant, satisfying, and sophisticated dish that is guaranteed to earn a permanent spot on your holiday menu. It’s a beautiful and delicious way to bring something new and exciting to the table.
We hope you and your loved ones enjoy every last, delicious bite!
If you enjoyed making this recipe, please leave a comment below or share it with a friend who is looking for a new Thanksgiving side dish!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What is tahini, and where can I find it? T
Tahini is a smooth, rich paste made from finely ground sesame seeds. It’s a staple ingredient in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine (it’s a key ingredient in hummus!). It has a delicious, nutty, and slightly bitter flavor that is wonderful in dressings and sauces. You can find it in most major grocery stores, typically in the international aisle or near the nut butters.
Q2: Can I make this salad a day or two before my party?
Yes, this is the perfect make-ahead salad! The best way to do this is to prepare all the components separately and store them in the refrigerator. Keep the roasted vegetables, the cooked pasta/kale mixture, and the dressing in separate airtight containers. Then, just before you are ready to serve, you can toss everything together with the cranberries and pistachios. This will ensure the vegetables and nuts stay firm and the salad is perfectly fresh.
Q3: How do I keep my pasta from getting mushy?
The key is to cook your pasta only until it is al dente, which means it is tender but still has a firm bite in the center. The pasta will continue to soften slightly as it sits with the dressing, so starting with an al dente texture is crucial.
Q4: Is this pasta salad served warm or cold?
This salad is best served at room temperature or slightly chilled. You will want to let the roasted vegetables and the cooked pasta cool down to at least room temperature before you toss everything together with the cool, creamy dressing.
Q5: Can I make this recipe vegan?
Yes, absolutely! As the Cook’s Note in the original recipe mentions, it’s very easy to make this vegan. Simply ensure you are using a pasta that does not contain eggs. For the dressing, you will need to use a brand of Dijon mustard that is certified vegan, as some are processed using non-vegan fining agents.