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Fresh Broccoli Pasta Salad

Fresh broccoli pasta salad with bright green blanched florets, chewy rotini, and bacon in a creamy mayo-vinegar dressing. Chilled for at least 2 hours so the pasta absorbs flavor and every bite stays crisp-tender.
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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
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

rotini or bow-tie pasta
  • 1 lb rotini or bow-tie pasta
broccoli florets
  • 4 cup broccoli florets
bacon
  • 8 bacon cooked and crumbled
red onion
  • 0.5 cup red onion finely diced
dried cranberries
  • 0.5 cup dried cranberries
sunflower seeds
  • 0.5 cup sunflower seeds
mayonnaise
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
sugar
  • 2 tbsp sugar
salt
  • 0.25 tsp salt to taste
pepper
  • 0.25 tsp pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Cook and chill the pasta and broccoli
  1. Cook the rotini or bow-tie pasta according to package directions, then drain and rinse with cold water until no longer warm. The pasta should feel springy and separated, not clumped.
  2. Bring water to a boil, add the broccoli florets, and blanch for 2 minutes until bright green and slightly tender. Immediately plunge into ice water, then drain well so the color stays vivid.
Make the creamy dressing
  1. In a bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper until smooth and glossy. Seasoning should look evenly distributed with no sugar streaks.
Assemble and refrigerate
  1. In a large bowl, combine the pasta, broccoli, bacon, red onion, dried cranberries, and sunflower seeds. Toss gently just to mix so the broccoli stays bright and intact.
  2. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss until everything is evenly coated. The pasta should look creamy, with broccoli lightly glossed rather than drowned.
  3. Refrigerate the salad for at least 2 hours before serving. It should firm up slightly and taste more cohesive after chilling.

Notes

Blanching and immediately cooling the broccoli keeps it crisp-tender and bright green. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; freeze is not recommended because the dressing can separate. For a lighter option, swap the mayonnaise for plain Greek yogurt (use about 1 cup) and reduce the apple cider vinegar by 1 tbsp if it tastes too tangy.