Butternut Squash Pasta Salad

Butternut Squash Pasta Salad is a healthy holiday side dish! This vegan recipe is full of fresh winter produce: butternut squash, brussels sprouts, pomegranate seeds, pecans and pasta. All topped with fresh orange and maple dijon vinaigrette!

I am proud to be partnering with Thrive™ Algae Oil to bring you this healthy holiday recipe!

This Butternut Squash Pasta Salad Recipe is so easy to prepare. It is just gorgeous with vibrant colors and flavors. Best of all, this is a super healthy recipe. It may just be the perfect holiday side dish!

Obviously the fresh winter produce makes this salad very nutritious. I did add a bit of pasta so when serving to guests you can offer a pasta salad instead of a bowl of healthy vegetables. Trust me, it makes a difference and gets everyone to eat their veggies!

But the real star of this Healthy Pasta Salad is Thrive™ Algae Oil. Yes, that’s right, algae oil. And this may just be my new favorite ingredient! Thrive™ Algae Oil has a mild, delicate flavor and smell. Really, I had a taste expectation and was pleasantly surprised by it’s complete lack of flavor and aroma. It allows the food to shine!

My most favorite thing about Thrive™ Algae Oil is it’s sustainability. Their mission is to create an oil that is better for people and the planet. Algae can provide a sustainable source of oil.

Thrive™ Algae Oil is great for just about any of your cooking needs from sautéing, frying, baking, dressings and marinades. It’s neutral flavor will highlight any dish. And Thrive™ Algae Oil has a crazy high smoke point of 485°!

The health benefits of Thrive™ Algae Oil cannot be ignored. It has the highest level of monounsaturated fat {the good fat} and the lowest level of saturated fat {the bad fat} with 75% less saturated fat than olive oil.

Learn More & Get Cookin’ the Heathy Way. . .

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With all of the heavy holiday foods, this bright and flavorful salad will be a welcome addition to your feast. I know I’m still recovering from Thanksgiving and am happy to be eating a bit lighter.

And the vinaigrette dressing is a punch of flavor!

Sweet, savory, soft, crunchy and salty. What more could you need?

Happy Holidays! May they be filled with health, happiness and flavor!

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Butternut Squash Pasta Salad

Yield: 8

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Ingredients

Salad

• 4 Tablespoons Thrive™ Algae Oil - divided
• 1 Cup Cooked Pasta of Choice, I used Acini di Pepe
• 4 Cups Cubed Butternut Squash
• 16 ounces Brussels Sprouts - halved then quartered
• 1/2 Cup Raw Pecans - roughly chopped
• 1 Cup Pomegranate Arils, dried cranberries can be used instead

Vinaigrette

• 1/4 Cup Thrive™ Algae Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Stone Ground Mustard
• 1 Tablespoon Pure Maple Syrup
• Zest of 1 Orange
• 1 Tablespoon Fresh Orange Juice
• 1/4 teaspoon Sea Salt
• 1/8 teaspoon Ground Pepper

Instructions

Salad

1. Heat 2 Tb algae oil over medium heat in large sauté pan. Add butternut squash and cook for 10-12 minutes or until tender. Toss frequently while cooking. Transfer butternut squash to bowl and allow to cool.
2. Add 2 Tb algae oil and Brussels sprouts to hot pan. Cook 10-12 minutes while stirring almost constantly. Add more oil as needed. Add pecans to pan 1 minute before Brussels sprouts are done. Transfer to bowl and allow to cool.
3. Once butternut squash and Brussels sprouts have cooled, combine with cooked pasta and pomegranate arils. Coat salad with half of the vinaigrette. Salt and pepper to taste.
4. Serve with a drizzle of vinaigrette and fresh chopped parsley.

Vinaigrette

1. Combine all vinaigrette ingredients.