HER Recipes: Broccoli Pasta Salad

This versatile dish is easy to throw together for a summer get-together that will add a colorful spin of freshness to the start grilling season (Photo/Molly Bryan).
This versatile dish is easy to throw together for a summer get-together that will add a colorful spin of freshness to the start grilling season (Photo/Molly Bryan).

This versatile dish is easy to throw together for a summer get-together that will add a colorful spin of freshness to the start grilling season. 

If you’re a fan of both broccoli salad and pasta salad, then this dish is for you! This dish ia a mix of fresh broccoli, nuts, cheese and a touch of sweetness from raisins. Add in some pasta with a sweet, creamy dressing — what’s not to love about this dish? 

Change up the add-ins however you like. You can make it your own by adding onions, different cheeses, carrots, green peppers or chicken. It can truly be tailored to your family’s taste.

 Ingredients:

1/2 cup chopped pecans

2 heads of fresh broccoli

8 ounces of your favorite pasta for pasta salad

½ cup raisins

½ cup small, cubed cheddar cheese

Optional: halved grapes, crumbled bacon, red onion and sliced carrots

The dressing:

¾ cup mayonnaise

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup red wine vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste.

Directions

Prepare pasta according to package directions, and then chop the broccoli florets into bite-sized pieces — try to leave out the stems. Chop pecans into smaller bits. In a bowl, mix together mayonnaise, red wine vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Once the pasta is cooked, drain and pour it into a large bowl. Add the mayonnaise mixture, broccoli, pecans, cheese, and whatever add-ins you would like and mix well. Put the pasta salad in an airtight container or cover it and place it in the fridge to chill for four hours.