Healthy Fall Harvest Pasta Salad With Butternut Squash

This healthy fall harvest salad is made with roasted butternut squash and pasta, toasted pumpkin and pomegrante seeds, kale, feta cheese, and rotini gluten-free pasta. The hearty, festive pasta salad is perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas or a fall potluck gathering.

Jump to:

• Quick Recipe Facts
• Why You'll Love This Fall Harvest Salad Recipe?
• ❓ What Makes This Butternut Squash and Pasta Salad Delicious and Healthy?
• 🥣 Fall Harvest Salad Ingredients
• Have A Specific Food Allergy?
• 👩‍🍳 How To Make a Fall Harvest Pasta Salad With Chicken
• Vegan Tip
• 🧡 Learn How to Make a Fall Harvest Salad Recipe
• 📖 Recipe Card
• 💙 Substitutions
• 🥚 Healthy Food Swaps Guide
• Need to substitute an ingredient?
• ❄️ Storage
• 🍴 Variations
• 😀Enjoy This Butternut Squash and Healthy Fall Harvest Salad Recipe!
• ❤️ You Might Also Love These
• 🍁 Fall Into Healthy Nutrition Challenge
• 📚 References
• 💬 Comments

This fall harvest pasta salad is perfect to enjoy for Thanksgiving, Christmas or any holiday gathering. You will love to enjoy this Autumn salad made with a delicious homemade salad dressing of olive oil, maple syrup, lime juice, and Dijon mustard.

It was inspired by my summer fresh Greek pasta salad recipe but I made an autumn fall harvest version instead.

❓ What Makes This Butternut Squash and Pasta Salad Delicious and Healthy?

Fall and autumn are brimming with delicious hearty vegetables. So why not take advantage of these fall flavors and enjoy a hearty fall salad recipe.

I like this pasta salad recipe as the perfect healthy potluck recipe to bring to any larger gathering. You can also bring this to Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. The colors are vibrant with all the flavors of fall.

Fiber rich kale is a great source of vitamin K, potassium, and vitamin C. Creamy butternut squash also contains vitamin A and fiber too.

Pomegranate Seeds

Pomegranate seeds are wonderfully rich in fiber, polyphenols, and antioxidants. These little gems are loaded with vitamin C. Ellagitannins, is an antioxidant which pomegranates contain, which can help reduce inflammation in the body.

In addition, ellagitannins create urolithin A, a compound that is produced in the gut shown to be quite beneficial to reduction in inflammation and protective in nature to brain cells.

🥣 Fall Harvest Salad Ingredients

To make this fall pasta salad, you will simply need to gather a few key ingredients that create the prettiest and most delicious pasta salad recipe.

1. Butternut Squash - I prefer to buy the prepackaged cubed butternut squash to save time and effort, but feel free to cut up the squash into cubes yourself. Creamy butternut squash is the perfect root vegetable in this salad recipe for fall and winter months. I like to make my Butternut Squash Curry Soup and my Sheet Pan Chicken with Squash while the butternut squash is in season.
2. Gluten-Free Pasta - You can use any gluten-free pasta of your choice. Rotini, penne, or bowtie pasta will work well in this recipe.
3. Pomegrante Seeds - These little pomegranate seeds are packed full of juicy flavor, but also with nutrients like fiber, vitamin C, potassium, and folate. Also, contain good amounts of antioxidants, which is especially important during the cold and flu season.
4. Feta Cheese - Feta cheese or goat cheese are perfect for that salty, creamy bite you need in a harvest fall salad. If vegan or dairy-free, swap for dairy-free cheese or simply omit.
5. Pumpkin Seeds - I like SuperSeedz gourmet pumpkin seeds. They are a great plant-based protein source with 8 grams of protein per serving. They are the perfect allergy friendly snack because they are a great swap for most nuts that some individuals can be allergic to.
6. Kale - I like Lacinato kale (Dino) for this recipe. Be sure to chop the kale thinly and massage well with the Maple Lime Vinaigrette salad dressing.
7. Chicken Breast - I like to cube up some chicken breast from a prepared rotisserie chicken that I purchase at my local grocery store. You can also cook up some fresh grilled or roasted chicken breast to use in this recipe.
8. Green Onions - Lately, I have been swapping my regular onions for green onions because they are more suitable for a low histamine diet. If you suffer from histamine intolerance or mast cell activation syndrome, try swapping traditional onions for green onions instead.

Maple Lime Dressing Ingredients

This vinaigrette dressing is easy to make with a few simple ingredients that combine maple syrup, lime juice, olive oil, and Dijon mustard. It also works well on many other salad recipes, or even a delicious protein marinade. It's the best on this Healthy Harvest Fall Pasta Salad.

1. Maple Syrup - You can swap this out for your favorite sweetener of choice. Stevia also works well. I prefer the maple syrup for a depth of flavor and added minerals.
2. Lime Juice - A splash will balance the mustard with a bit of tangy flavor.
3. Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Heart healthy and full of rich body and flavor for the base of this maple lime salad dressing recipe.
4. Dijon Mustard - I prefer the tangy flavor of Dijon mustard, but any mustard will work in this salad dressing recipe.
5. Sea Salt - A pinch of sea salt helps balance out the sweetness of this dressing.

See the recipe card for quantities.

👩‍🍳 How To Make a Fall Harvest Pasta Salad With Chicken

🫒 Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss butternut squash with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of sea salt, and roast for 20-30 minutes, until soft. Remove from oven and set aside.

🫙 In a mason jar or small bowl, combine maple syrup, lime juice, olive oil, and sea salt. Shake your mason jar until well combined, or whisk together until the vinaigrette is emulsified.

🍝 Thinly slice your kale and green onions, and cube your cooked chicken breast.
In a large bowl, combine 8 ounces cooked pasta, roasted butternut squash, cubed chicken breast, pumpkin and pomegranate seeds, kale, feta cheese, and green onions.
Pour the prepared maple lime vinaigrette dressing over salad and gently toss to combine.

🧡 Learn How to Make a Fall Harvest Salad Recipe

Learn how easy it is to make an easy pasta fall salad recipe that comes together quickly. This pasta salad is also great for any fall potluck recipe idea.

📖 Recipe Card

💙 Substitutions

Making a healthy fall harvest pasta salad recipe is quite easy, but sometimes the ingredients don't fit into your dietary needs or preferences. Check out some easy substitutions and variations to customize this recipe to your liking.

• Kale - Try this with spinach or arugula instead.
• Butternut Squash - Swap with sweet potatoes.
• Feta Cheese - Swap with goat cheese or a similar vegan cheese.
• Pumpkin Seeds - Sunflower seeds are a similar substitute.
• Pomegrante Seeds - Try dried fruit like cranberries or even better is some delicious fresh cranberries.

❄️ Storage

You can store any leftover fall salad for 4 days, but keep the vinaigrette separate until ready to serve. You can also prepare this pasta salad recipe a few days in advance of a fall potluck gathering. The maple lime vinaigrette will keep in your fridge for up to a week.

🍴 Variations

Here are a few variations for the autumn harvest pasta salad.

• Vegan - Omit the chicken breast and swap for a vegan friendly protein choice like seitan or firm tofu. Be sure to season your tofu with some of your favorite spices.

😀Enjoy This Butternut Squash and Healthy Fall Harvest Salad Recipe!

So, were you surprised at how easy it was to make a fall healthy harvest pasta salad recipe? Will you try this fall pasta salad for your next holiday gathering or fall potluck?

Also, I hope you guys love this recipe! If you make this easy recipe, please leave a comment below and let me know what you think! And if you post to Instagram, I repost your remakes of your creations on my IG stories!

In addition, I would also love to hear what you think, or take a photo and tag me @EatYourNutrition on Instagram. I love seeing your photos. #EatYourNutrition #LauraVillanueva

❤️ You Might Also Love These

Looking for other healthy pasta recipes like this? Try these:

📚 References

1. Toney AM, Fox D, Chaidez V, Ramer-Tait AE, Chung S. Immunomodulatory Role of Urolithin A on Metabolic Diseases. Biomedicines. 2021 Feb 15;9(2):192. doi: 10.3390/biomedicines9020192. PMID: 33671880; PMCID: PMC7918969.