This Winter Pasta Salad is made with oven-roasted butternut squash, broccoli, and mushrooms, as well as arugula, shrimp, and a thyme-mustard vinaigrette. This recipe is easy, healthy, and can be made dairy-free, gluten-free, and/or vegan/vegetarian if needed.
One of the most popular recipes on my blog is this Roasted Vegetable Pasta Salad, my love of which has inspired me to create a winter version of that recipe! And that’s just what I’m sharing with you today :).
This Winter Pasta Salad is packed with tons of seasonal veggies, including roasted butternut squash, broccoli, and cremini mushrooms. It’s then paired with handfuls of arugula for all. the. greens., as well as some sautéed shrimp for added protein.
Pasta salads are one of my favourite make-ahead meals (i.e. awesome for meal prep) because they can be eaten both hot or cold. I don’t know about you, but I almost like cold roasted veggies just as much as hot!! Pasta salads are also super portable and great to pack for a healthy lunch if you’re in need of some inspiration.
How To Make Winter Pasta Salad
Like other pasta salads, this winter version is pretty easy to make! Ingredients are prepared separately, and then thrown together in a big bowl and tossed to combine.
Start by chopping up the vegetables – butternut squash, cremini mushrooms, and broccoli – into small pieces. Toss them in olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic and place them in the oven.
While the veggies roast, you can start to prepare the other ingredients. Thaw and remove shells/tails from shrimp (if using) and bring pasta water to a boil. It’s best to choose a smaller shaped pasta for pasta salads, so that everything is kind of the same bite-sized piece!
Cook pasta according to package directions, and fry the shrimp over high heat for 1-2 minutes on each side. Drain the pasta, remove the shrimp from heat, and set aside.
Next, you can prepare the salad dressing. Simply mix extra virgin olive oil, white wine vinegar, lemon juice, dijon mustard, honey, garlic powder, dried thyme, salt, and pepper together in a small jar with a lid (shake vigorously).
Once the veggies are roasted (tender and slightly browned), remove them from the oven. In a large mixing bowl, combine a few handfuls of baby arugula, cooked pasta, roasted veggies, shrimp, and chopped parsley.
Shake the dressing again and pour over the salad ingredients. Mix everything together until the ingredients are evenly coated. If you’d like, you can add some freshly grated parmesan or any other seasonings as desired.
For a dairy-free version, simply omit the grated parmesan (and perhaps try a sprinkle of nutritional yeast instead?) For a gluten-free version, simply choose a gluten-free pasta in a small shape (like penne, fusilli, or farfalle). For a vegan version, omit the cheese and swap the shrimp for a vegan protein like canned chickpeas!
Recipe Nutrition Notes
Butternut Squash Nutrition. This winter squash is one of the best sources of beta-carotene, which converts to vitamin A in the body and which has antioxidant properties. In addition to vitamin A, squash is a great source of vitamin C, E, magnesium, potassium, manganese, and multiple B vitamins. Butternut squash is an excellent source of dietary fibre, with one cup of cooked squash providing 7 grams (28% of your daily needs)!
Broccoli Nutrition. This cruciferous vegetable is rich in micronutrients like vitamin C, K, A, folate, potassium, calcium, iron, phosphorus, and magnesium. Like squash, it’s also high in fibre, with one cup providing 2.3 grams (9% of your daily needs).
Mushrooms Nutrition. While I love them for their meaty and umami flavour, mushrooms are little nutrition powerhouses, too! They’re a great source of multiple B-vitamins which play an important role in energy production. Mushrooms are also rich in minerals, like selenium, copper, and potassium. Did you know that mushrooms are also one of the few non-fortified food sources of vitamin D?
Arugula Nutrition. This peppery green is a great source of micronutrients like calcium, potassium, folate, vitamin C, K, and A. It’s also a source of dietary fibre and antioxidants!
Shrimp Nutrition. Shrimp is an excellent, easy-to-cook source of complete protein (a standard 3-ounce or 85-gram serving provides 18 grams of protein). These little guys are also a source of micronutrients, including selenium, B12, iron, phosphorus, niacin, zinc, magnesium, and iodine.
Salad Dressing Nutrition. While there are multiple good-for-you ingredients in this simple salad dressing, it was worth mentioning that it’s a great source of heart-healthy fats! These fats play a role in many important processes in your body, but they also help to keep you full AND they help your body better absorb the many micronutrients found in the other ingredients of this winter pasta salad.
Perfect For Meal Prep!
Pasta salad is one of my favourite meals to meal prep for a few easy lunches or dinners. Because there is seafood in this winter pasta salad, I would recommend eating it within 3 days of cooking. Enjoy it hot or cold!
Want More Healthy Pasta Recipes?
You’ll love some of my favourites below:
- Roasted Vegetable Pasta Salad With Shrimp (Summer Version)
- Pan Seared Scallops & Zucchini Noodle Pasta
- Mediterranean Canned Mackerel Pasta
- Roasted Red Pepper Cashew Cream Pasta
- 20-Minute Healthy Tuna Pasta Salad
If you give this Winter Pasta Salad With Roasted Vegetables a try, let me know by leaving a comment and recipe rating below! Be sure to follow along on Instagram and Pinterest for more simple, healthy recipe ideas.
Winter Pasta Salad With Roasted Vegetables
Ingredients
- 1 small butternut squash
- 1 crown broccoli
- 10 cremini mushrooms
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- Extra virgin olive oil (to toss veggies)
- Salt + pepper, to taste
- 2 cups bowtie pasta, dry (or other small pasta of choice)
- Approx. 24 med-large shrimp (frozen or fresh)
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil (to cook shrimp)
- 1 cup parsley
- 3-4 large handfuls baby arugula
- Optional: 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan
Thyme-Mustard Dressing:
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
- 1/4 tsp honey
- 1 tsp thyme, dried
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- Salt + pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- Start by preparing all ingredients. Peel and remove seeds from butternut squash, and chop into small 1-inch pieces. Quarter cremini mushrooms and cut broccoli into small florets. Mince garlic cloves and chop parsley.
- Place the chopped butternut squash on one large baking sheet and toss in olive oil, salt, pepper, and 1/2 of the minced garlic. Spread out squash pieces evenly on baking sheet.
- Place the quartered mushrooms on a separate large baking dish and toss in olive oil, salt, pepper. Place both the mushrooms and butternut squash in the oven. After 15 minutes, remove mushrooms and drain off any liquid (if necessary). Add broccoli florets to the baking dish (toss in a little more oil and add other 1/2 of minced garlic). Return to the oven for 30 minutes.
- While the veggies roast, bring pasta water to a boil. Cook according to package directions. Drain the pasta and set aside.
- While pasta cooks, thaw (if frozen) and remove shells/tails from shrimp. Pat dry. Heat a large pan over high heat with avocado oil. Cook shrimp 1-2 minutes each side until pink. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Next, prepare the salad dressing. Mix all dressing ingredients together in a small jar with a lid and shake vigorously to combine.
- Once the veggies are roasted (tender and slightly browned), remove them from the oven. In a large mixing bowl, combine baby arugula, cooked pasta, roasted veggies, shrimp, and chopped parsley.
- Shake the dressing again and pour over the salad ingredients. Mix everything together until the ingredients are evenly coated. If you'd like, you can add some freshly grated parmesan or any other seasonings as desired!
Notes
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Another amazing bowl recipe carrie!
Thank you Liane! I hope you enjoyed it 🙂
This is one of my favorite recipes and super easy to make! It is so flavorful and tastes even better as leftovers the next day. Thanks Carrie for another great recipe!
Thank you so much for leaving a comment and rating, Madeline! So happy to hear you enjoy this recipe 🙂