Summer Broccoli Pasta Salad is a terrific take-along dish with a perfect balance of sweet and savory flavors – plus bacon.
Summer Broccoli Pasta Salad pairs fresh broccoli and strawberries with a made from scratch sweet poppy seed dressing and bacon for a fresh side dish bursting with flavor. I make a spinach strawberry salad (recipe HERE) and everyone asks for the recipe. Or they ask me to bring it to the next gathering. I’ve made it for years.
I was thinking about those flavors when browsing THIS collection of recipes and being drawn to the “Fan Favorite Broccoli Salad”. I’ve eaten a lot of broccoli salads in my lifetime. I really like broccoli so I always go for the broccoli salad at a picnic or in a buffet line. But I’ve never seen a broccoli pasta salad like this one.
Watch how to make Summer Broccoli Pasta Salad:
This salad and its combination of ingredients doesn’t seem like it would work but it most definitely does. The strawberries provide a light sweetness that compliments the slight bitterness of the broccoli. This salad is crunchy, sweet, salty and tangy. And as is usual with most of my recipes the time involved in making this dish is short. Because we’re all about convenience these days aren’t we? I sure am.
What do you think? Does this look like a take-along dish you’ll make this summer? What are some of your favorite recipes that you always bring to picnics and potlucks? I’d love for you to share your recipes in the comments!
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Summer Broccoli Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 8 oz bow tie pasta
- 3 cups broccoli florets
- 1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries stemmed and chopped
- 1/2 red onion finely chopped
- 1/2 cup goat cheese crumbled
- 8 oz bacon cooked and crumbled
- 1 cup Hellmann's mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 tbsp white vinegar
- 2 tbsp poppy seeds
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to package directions and rinse under cold water.
- Place pasta in a large bowl and toss the pasta with the broccoli florets, strawberries, red onion, goat cheese and bacon.
- In a separate bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar, poppy seeds, salt and pepper.
- Pour the dressing over the pasta salad and stir to combine.
- Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.
Erren says
The colors make me feel so excited to try this!
foodtasticmom says
Thanks! The visual thing is important to me, glad you appreciate it 🙂
Valentina says
I love the combination of ingredients in this! I’ll bookmark it for summer picnics for sure! Lovely!
foodtasticmom says
Wonderful, thank you!
Christine says
What a great salad to bring to a summer picnic! I love the addition of strawberries too!
foodtasticmom says
Thanks so much Christine! The strawberries really hold their own next to the broccoli.
Natalie | Natalie's Food & Health says
I never had broccoli pasta before. This looks so delicious, creamy and fresh I just must try it. Pinning!
foodtasticmom says
Thanks so much Natalie. I hope enjoy it. Come back and let me know what you think if you have a chance 🙂