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Broccoli, Grape, and Pasta Salad

Broccoli salad made with grape pasta salad flavors—colorful pasta, bright green broccoli, and purple grapes in a creamy sweet-savory dressing. Blanched broccoli and a 2-hour chill make it taste cohesive for potlucks and gatherings.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pasta base
  • 1 lb pasta shells or rotini
  • 4 cup broccoli florets blanched
  • 2 cup red grapes halved
  • 0.5 cup red onion finely diced
  • 6 slice bacon cooked and crumbled
  • 0.5 cup sunflower seeds for topping
Creamy sweet-savory dressing
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
  • 0.25 cup sugar
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • salt to taste
  • pepper to taste

Method
 

Cook and cool the pasta and broccoli
  1. Cook the pasta shells or rotini according to package directions, then drain and rinse with cold water.
  2. Blanch the broccoli florets in boiling water for 2 minutes, then plunge into ice water and drain.
Make the creamy dressing
  1. Whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, sugar, red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper until smooth.
Assemble and chill
  1. Combine the pasta, blanched broccoli, halved red grapes, and finely diced red onion in a large bowl.
  2. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat evenly.
  3. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours so the pasta absorbs the creamy sweet-savory flavors.
Finish and serve
  1. Right before serving, top the chilled salad with sunflower seeds and crumbled bacon.

Notes

Pro tip: Rinse the pasta and ice-chill the broccoli to keep the salad bright green and stop the vegetables from turning watery. Refrigerate in a sealed container for 3–4 days; freezer: no (the grapes and dressing texture won’t hold up well). For a lighter option, swap half the mayonnaise with plain Greek yogurt for a similar creamy tang.