Broccoli Cheddar Pasta Salad
Broccoli Cheddar Pasta Salad takes the usual broccoli salad mix of bacon, cheddar, onion, and sweet-tangy dressing, then adds bow tie pasta to make it more filling. It only takes 30 minutes to make and keeps well in the fridge for a make-ahead side that’s not just pasta and mayo.
🍽️ Recipe Name: Broccoli Cheddar Pasta Salad
⏰ Ready In: 30 minutes, plus 1 hour chilling time
👥 Serves: 8
🔥 Calories: 350 per serving (estimated)
🥕 Main Ingredients: Bow tie pasta, broccoli, sharp cheddar, bacon, red onion, mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar
🥗 Dietary Info: Contains dairy, eggs and gluten
⭐ Why You’ll Love It: All the sweet-salty broccoli salad flavors you love, but with pasta added to make it more satisfying
This broccoli pasta salad recipe has more texture than most deli-style pasta salads because of the chopped broccoli, crisp bacon, and shredded cheddar, adding crunch and chew. It’s a perfect pairing for burgers, sandwiches, grilled chicken, or a plate of cookout food.
More delicious pasta salads you might want to try include Caprese Pasta Salad, Deviled Egg Pasta Salad, and Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love It
- A hearty dish: The bow tie pasta makes it a stronger side dish option than broccoli salad alone. You could even enjoy a plate of this filling pasta broccoli salad for lunch.
- Range of textures: Broccoli, bacon, and bow tie pasta make it more interesting than just one soft scoop of pasta plus token veggies plus mayonnaise. One scoop will soon turn into two!
- Closer to broccoli salad: The mayonnaise, vinegar, and sugar give it that familiar sweet-tangy flavor you already love about standard broccoli salad.
- A versatile side dish: Serve it with burgers, sandwiches, grilled chicken or pulled pork. It’s just as good served with your lunchtime sandwich as it is with steak or a rack of ribs.
- Easy to customize: Add dried cranberries, diced ham, sunflower seeds, or anything else you like.
History of Broccoli Salad
Broccoli salad is a fairly modern American side dish that became popular through potlucks and cookouts and still appears often in community cookbooks. The combination of raw broccoli, bacon, onion, and a sweet, creamy dressing became commonplace by the 1980s, and it’s still very much loved today.
Cheddar Broccoli Pasta Salad Recipe Ingredients
See the recipe card below for a complete list of ingredients and measurements.
Broccoli Cheddar Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 3 cups small broccoli florets raw
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- 8 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
- ½ cup red onion finely diced
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 12 ounces bow tie pasta cooked, drained and cooled
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Combine broccoli, pasta, cheddar, bacon and onion in mixing bowl.12 ounces bow tie pasta,3 cups small broccoli florets,2 cups sharp cheddar cheese,8 slices bacon,½ cup red onion
- Whisk mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar, salt and pepper.¾ cup mayonnaise,2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar,2 tablespoons sugar,¼ teaspoon salt,¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Toss pasta mixture with dressing.
- Cover and chill at least an hour before serving.
Notes
- Cut the broccoli quite small: Large pieces make the salad awkward to eat.
- Cool the pasta fully: Warm pasta absorbs dressing too fast and the texture ends up uneven.
- Cool the bacon crisp: Crisp bacon keeps its texture better after chilling.
- Taste it when cold: Sometimes chilled food can need another pinch of salt.
Nutrition Information
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Top Tips
- Cut the broccoli quite small: Large pieces make the salad awkward to eat.
- Cool the pasta fully: Warm pasta absorbs dressing too fast, and the texture ends up uneven.
- Cook the bacon crisp: Crisp bacon keeps its texture better after chilling.
- Taste it when cold: Sometimes chilled food can need another pinch of salt.
How to Store
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Refrigerator: Stir before serving again if the dressing has settled.
- Food safety: Don’t leave it out for more than 2 hours.
- Freezing: I don’t recommend freezing this broccoli and pasta salad. The dressing and broccoli texture won’t be good after thawing.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this salad with Air Fryer BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches or alongside Tex Mex Sliders or Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs. A jug of iced Sweet Strawberry Tea would be a delicious pairing.
Broccoli Cheddar Pasta Salad FAQs
Yes. It’s better after a few hours in the fridge, and you can make it the day before.
No. This recipe uses raw broccoli. Just cut it small, so it mixes in properly. If you really don’t like raw broccoli, you can blanch or steam it for a minute or two first.
The pasta absorbs dressing as it sits. Stir in a spoonful or two of mayo before serving if you want to loosen it.
Small enough to spear easily on a fork with the pasta. Big chunks would throw off the texture of the whole salad.
Sure, pick your favorite! You could also try a tortellini broccoli pasta salad, using tortellini in place of bow tie pasta.
