Best-Ever Pasta Salad

ByJasmine Updated on Everyday, Food & Drink

BBQ season is officially here and I couldn’t be more excited! Nothing like grillin’ on a hot summer day! One of our absolute favorite dishes to go with our BBQ is this amazing pasta salad. It’s loaded with broccoli, bacon, red grapes, onions and toasted pecans. The flavors are incredible together and it is definitely a dish that your guests will rave about. My husband is constantly begging me to make it for him, so we typically double the ingredients below so he can have it throughout the week. Best part? It is SO easy to make!

 

Ingredients

  • 1/2 (16-oz.) package farfalle (bow-tie) pasta
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
  • 1 pound fresh broccoli
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup diced red onion
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups seedless red grapes, halved
  • 4 cooked bacon slices, crumbled

 

 

Preheat oven to 350°. Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan five to seven minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through.

Boil water and prepare pasta according to package directions.


While pasta is cooking, heat up your skillet and start making your bacon. Set bacon aside once cooked.

Cut broccoli florets from stems, and separate florets into small pieces.

Mix together mayonnaise, red wine vinegar, sugar and salt in a large bowl; add broccoli, red onions, hot cooked pasta, and grapes, and stir to coat.

Cover and chill 3 hours. Stir bacon and pecans into salad just before serving.

 

Best-Ever Pasta Salad
 
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Recipe type: Side Dish
Ingredients
  • ½ (16-oz.) package farfalle (bow-tie) pasta
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
  • 1 pound fresh broccoli
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • ⅓ cup red wine vinegar
  • ⅓ cup sugar
  • ⅓ cup diced red onion
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups seedless red grapes, halved
  • 4 cooked bacon slices, crumbled
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan five to seven minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through.
  2. Boil water and prepare pasta according to package directions.
  3. While pasta is cooking, heat up your skillet and start making your bacon. Set bacon aside once cooked.
  4. Cut broccoli florets from stems, and separate florets into small pieces.
  5. Mix together mayonnaise, red wine vinegar, sugar and salt in a large bowl; add broccoli, red onions, hot cooked pasta, and grapes, and stir to coat.
  6. Cover and chill 3 hours. Stir bacon and pecans into salad just before serving.