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A pasta salad made with broccoli, tomatoes, feta, basil and pine nuts
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Broccoli Pasta Salad

An easy broccoli pasta salad with feta and cherry tomatoes. Perfect for bringing to your next potluck, BBQ or great for school lunch boxes.
Course Dinner, Lunch, Side Dish
Cuisine Pasta, Salads, Vegetarian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Calories 480kcal
Author Michelle Alston

Ingredients

For the Pasta Salad

  • 3 cups rigatoni pasta (260g)
  • 2 cups fresh broccoli florets (220g)
  • ½ medium red onion (65g or ½ cup) finely chopped
  • ¼ cup pinenuts (30g)
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes (180g) cut in half
  • ½ cup feta cheese (80g) cut into some cubes
  • A small handful basil leaves

For the Dressing

  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 clove of garlic minced
  • ¼ tsp sea salt
  • ¼ tsp cracked black pepper

Instructions

  • Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente.
  • While the pasta is cooking make the dressing.
    Add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar and  1 tablespoon of maple syrup to a mixing bowl or jug. Stir in 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard, one minced clove of garlic and the salt and pepper.
    Then whisk in the extra virgin olive oil one tablespoon at a time.
    Once the oil is incorporated, leave the dressing in the fridge until you are ready to use it.
  • Fill another saucepan with water and bring to the boil. Have a large bowl ready filled with ice cold water.
    Drop the broccoli florets into the boiling water, remove after 2 minutes and drop the broccoli into the ice-cold water.
    Remove from the cold water and set aside until the pasta is ready.
    Drain the cooked pasta then run it under a very cold tap.
  • Tip the pasta into a large serving dish. Add the tomatoes, red onion, basil, broccoli and feta.
    Pour the dressing over the pasta and vegetables then toss gently with a large serving spoon.
    Season with a little salt and pepper if you wish then serve,

Notes

  • Nutritional information is approximate and is calculated using an online tool. The information provided is based on a serving of 4 as a main meal and includes the dressing.
  • If you would like to make this gluten free then just sub the pasta for your favourite gluten-free pasta.
  • To make this pasta salad vegan all you need to do is omit the feta, you could add more veggies if you wish to bulk this up more.
  • I used rigatoni pasta but penne, fusilli or any similar pasta will work well too. Whole wheat pasta is also great for this too.
  • Pasta salads are really flexible so a lot of vegetables will go well in this. Vegetables we have tried and have worked really well are blanched asparagus, raw courgettes, raw yellow peppers and cucumber.
  • Feta cheese is my choice of cheese for this pasta salad however we have also enjoyed cheddar and vegetarian parmesan in this too. separately, not all together!

Nutrition

Calories: 480kcal | Carbohydrates: 61.1g | Protein: 14.1g | Fat: 20.1g | Saturated Fat: 5.5g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 374mg | Potassium: 193mg | Fiber: 4.5g | Sugar: 9g | Calcium: 100mg | Iron: 1.8mg