Broccoli Pasta Salad

Hey everyone, it's Kari! 

I've posted on this blog before but that was pre-baby and now that I'm just barely getting back into blogging (my baby may or may not be almost 14 months old - oops!) Natalie asked me to post this recipe for a salad I made the last time she and her husband (and her bump) came to dinner!

Photo

I first saw this recipe on Pinterest and posted it to my board in hopes to someday make it and I'm glad I finally did!

If you like the broccoli salad from Souplantation/Sweet Tomatoes you'll like this too!

The original recipe was a little different from what I ended up making because I tried to use mostly what I already had on hand,

This is the original recipe:

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

This is what mine ended up being:

• 10 oz. bow-tie pasta (Instead of 8 oz. - I kinda wanted it to be more hearty)
• 1 lb. fresh broccoli
• 1 cup mayo
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup diced red onion
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar (didn't have red wine vinegar)
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 1/2 cups red grapes, halved
• 6 cooked bacon slices, crumbled (Instead of 8 slices - we ended up using some of the chewy bacon pieces for the burgers)
• 1/2 cup cashews (didn't have pecans - also didn't roast them)

Cook bow-tie pasta until it is al dente, let cool. While pasta is cooking cut broccoli into bite size florets.

Combine mayo, sugar, onion, vinegar and salt in a small bowl.
Toss pasta and broccoli and grapes in large bowl, pour mayo mixture over. (In the original recipe it says to refrigerate at this point for 3 hours - I didn't have time for this at first, but I do think the pasta was better second day, so if you have time to make it ahead you can stop at this point!)
Before serving toss in bacon and cashews.

It makes for a perfect summer salad and was delicious with burgers and corn on the cob!

Enjoy!