This Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta Salad with Maple Dijon Dressing is a perfect blend of sweet, tangy, and savory. It’s light enough for a quick weeknight meal but filling enough for gatherings or even meal prep.

A close-up of a fork holding pasta salad with rotini, spinach, pecans, squash, and feta cheese.

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Table of contents

Why we love this recipe
Recipe Ingredients
Substitutions
Tip
Recipe Directions
Mom Tip
Other recipes you might like
Recipe

Why we love this recipe

The butternut squash is roasted to perfection, giving it a natural sweetness that’s perfectly complemented by the tart cranberries and tangy maple Dijon dressing. The toasted pecans add a great crunch, and the cranberries give a little pop of sweetness to balance everything out.

Other squash recipes we love are this butternut squash pie and cheesy casserole with zucchini and yellow squash.

Recipe Ingredients

Substitutions

No butternut squash? Sweet potatoes work great here, too. And if you’re not into feta, goat cheese or even blue cheese would be delicious.
Not a fan of spinach? You can swap it out for arugula or kale for a different texture and flavor.

Array of ingredients for a recipe, including pasta, spinach, butternut squash, and seasonings, arranged on a white surface.

Pasta
Butternut Squash
Baby Spinach
Red Onion
Toasted Pecans
Feta Cheese
Dried Cranberries
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
Maple Syrup
Apple Cider Vinegar
Dijon Mustard

Tip

To save time, you can toast your pecans in a dry skillet on the stovetop for about 3-5 minutes. Just keep an eye on them so they don’t burn!

Recipe Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Set aside.

Cubed sweet potatoes on parchment paper with bowls of spinach, pecans, cranberries, and other ingredients.

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Toss the diced butternut squash with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread evenly on a baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes, until tender and slightly caramelized. Let it cool for a few minutes.

Glass jar with oil and garlic, next to a bottle of oil and a dish of greens on a white surface.

Step 2: In a small bowl or jar, mix together olive oil, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, salt, and pepper.

Glass bowl with pasta and roasted squash; surrounded by bowls of spinach, cheese, onion, cranberries, and a jar.

Step 3: In a large bowl, mix the cooked pasta, roasted butternut squash.

Bowl with spinach, pecans, dried cranberries, feta, butternut squash, and red onions. Jars and bowls nearby.

Step 4: Next, add the dried cranberries, toasted pecans, baby spinach, red onion, and feta cheese.

Pouring vinaigrette over pasta salad with spinach, squash, cranberries, and feta.

Step 5: Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss gently until everything is well-coated.

Close-up of a pasta salad with spinach, roasted squash, pecans, feta, and red onions.

Step 6: Serve the Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta Salad with Maple Dijon Dressing immediately or refrigerate for up to two days.

Bowl of pasta salad with spinach, pecans, butternut squash, cranberries, and red onion on a striped tablecloth.

Mom Tip

This salad is great for meal prep! If you’re making it ahead of time, keep the dressing separate and toss it in just before serving to prevent the spinach from wilting.

Other recipes you might like

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