This fresh and easy Broccoli cheddar pasta salad is one of my favorites. It is packed with crisp vegetables and fresh cheddar, tossed with a simple homemade mayonnaise dressing.
You'll love this easy recipe, prepared in 15 minutes, as a summertime salad.
Pasta recipes are so easy and go well with all the veggies! Check out this Creamy Chicken Fajita Pasta, Zesty Italian Pasta Salad, and Baked Pepperoni Pasta.
They're guaranteed to satisfy even picky eaters. This Cheddar Broccoli Pasta Salad is no exception!
🥦 In this post, learn how to make an easy pasta salad, plus get loads of tips and tricks for the best results.
Jump To
- 🛒Ingredients and Substitutions
- 🥘 How To Make Broccoli Chicken Pasta Salad Step By Step
- Rita's Tip
- 📋Tips For Making Broccoli Cheddar Salad
- 🍴Tools You'll Need
- Freezing and Storing Leftover Broccoli Chicken Pasta Salad
- What To Serve With Broccoli Cheddar Pasta Salad
- More Salad Recipes You'll Like
- Did You Try This Recipe?
- 📖Recipe
- 🤷Frequently Asked Questions
- 💬 Comments
🛒Ingredients and Substitutions
This broccoli pasta salad recipe uses a handful of basic ingredients that might already be in your pantry:
- Pasta - Rotini pasta is the most popular pasta type for cold salads. This is because sauces and dressings cling to the noodles. Penne or farfalle (bowties) are also great options. Use tri-colored pasta for a pretty pasta salad.
- Bacon - Cooked separately until crispy, crumbled, and added in the last stage. Add it at the last minute to retain its texture and crunch. If you don't like using bacon, try it with smoked turkey.
- Cheese - Colby Jack, Monterey, or cubed or shredded cheddar cheese all work well in this salad. Try snack cheese cubes (regular or with added flavors, e.g., herbs, paprika) and more parmesan.
- Broccoli - If you don't like broccoli, cauliflower is a great alternative and also really nutritious. If using both, divide the fresh broccoli and cauliflower equally.
- Tomatoes - Cocktail, cherry, red vine, or plum tomatoes all work well and deliver a burst of antioxidants.
- Mayonnaise - This is key to this pasta salad's rich, thick, and creamy dressing (Miracle Whip is ok too). For a vegan option, try vegan mayonnaise or full-fat coconut milk.
- Vinegar - Use milder and lighter vinegar here. White wine vinegar and apple cider vinegar are ideal.
👩🍳 You'll find the complete list of ingredients below the recipe card.
🥘 How To Make Broccoli Chicken Pasta Salad Step By Step
- Prepare the pasta. First, cook the pasta according to the package directions until al dente. Once cooked, cool, drain and rinse. Set the pasta aside.
- Blanch the broccoli. To do this, cook the small florets in salted water and boil them in a medium saucepan/pot for 3 minutes. Remove the broccoli, drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. A bowl filled with ice is the most efficient method. Drain and dry the broccoli and set it aside. Discard the ice water.
- To make the dressing, mix the mayo, vinegar, lemon juice, sour cream, parmesan, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
- Combine the dressing, vegetables, and cheese. Cover the bowl and refrigerate. The pasta salad can be made hours before serving, but it should be chilled for at least 2 hours.
- When ready to serve, assemble the salad, top it with the bacon, and stir everything through. Serve the crunchy salad immediately.
Rita's Tip
Cook the pasta to al dente. This way, it will be tender pasta rather than mushy.
📋Tips For Making Broccoli Cheddar Salad
- Tip 1. As it is a cold salad, the pasta should be chilled once cooked. Coat the cooked and cooled pasta in olive oil to prevent it from sticking together.
- Tip 2. Let the veggie pasta salad absorb the creamy dressing. Chill the pasta salad for one or two hours, allowing the flavors to meld.
🍴Tools You'll Need
Freezing and Storing Leftover Broccoli Chicken Pasta Salad
- 🍱To Store. If you have leftovers, pop them into an airtight container and keep them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- 🥶Freezing. This broccoli salad is not good to freeze, as it becomes mushy when it thaws.
What To Serve With Broccoli Cheddar Pasta Salad
Do you love this recipe? Here's what to serve alongside it:
- As a side dish to BBQ meats and other delicious recipes on the barbecue.
- Delicious deli roast beef sandwiches
- Grilled salmon or tuna
- Burgers- like these Juicy Bacon Cheddar Burger or Salmon Patties / Salmon Burger
- Works great with barbecue chicken
- Mac and cheese
- Sandwiches, wraps, toasts, paninis
- Fried foods such as fried chicken wings, thighs, etc.
- Hot dogs
- Corn on the cob, either grilled, boiled, or baked in the oven
🥘 Make Next: Fried Cabbage With Bacon, Garlic and Onion
More Salad Recipes You'll Like
If you like this cold pasta salad recipe, be sure not to miss those too:
📖Recipe
Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Pasta Salad (With Bacon)
Ingredients
- 8 oz pasta, rotini, or similar
- 5-6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
- ½ cup green peas, frozen or canned
- 1 cup broccoli florets, cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 cup tri-color bell peppers, diced
- ½ small red onion, diced
- ½ cup Cheddar Mix or Colby Jack Cheese, shredded
- 6 cherry or plum tomatoes, cut in half
Salad Dressing
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 1 teaspoon apple cider or white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoon sour cream or Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoon parmesan, grated
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare pasta according to package directions.8 oz pasta
- Blanch the broccoli. Fill a medium saucepan/pot with water, enough to cover the broccoli. Add salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and lower the broccoli into the water. Cook on medium heat for 3 minutes; remove the florets with kitchen tongs and place them into ice-cold water. Once cooled, drain and pat dry with a towel. Set aside.1 cup broccoli florets
- Dressing. In a bowl, mix mayonnaise, vinegar, lemon juice, sour cream, parmesan, salt, and pepper.¾ cup mayonnaise, ½ teaspoon lemon juice, 2 tablespoon sour cream or Greek yogurt, 2 tablespoon parmesan, salt and black pepper to taste, 1 teaspoon apple cider or white wine vinegar
- Once the pasta is cooked and drained well, place it in a large bowl.
- Pour in the dressing, and add the veggies and cheddar. Stir well.½ cup green peas, 1 cup tri-color bell peppers, ½ small red onion, ½ cup Cheddar Mix or Colby Jack Cheese, 6 cherry or plum tomatoes
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours.
- Before serving, add crumbled bacon, stir, and serve immediately! Enjoy!5-6 bacon slices
Notes
- To Store. If you have leftovers, pop them into an airtight container and keep them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezing. This broccoli salad is not good to freeze, as it becomes mushy when it thaws.
Nutrition
🤷Frequently Asked Questions
No, we wouldn't recommend rinsing pasta for pasta salad at all.
Rinsing will remove the thick starch content that helps the sauce absorb better and make the best veggie pasta salad for your dinner.
If in a rush, you can easily chill your cooked pasta quickly. After cooking, remove the water by placing your noodles into a colander.
Once drained, transfer the whole colander with pasta into a large pot filled with ice-cold water and chill for a few minutes.
Drain the water, drizzle with a small amount of olive oil, and store it in the fridge before it is ready to use. Remember to cover it first!
Yes, pasta can be cooked 2-3 days ahead of time.
If using homemade pasta in this salad, note that it cooks much quicker than dried pasta and could easily get soggy.
Rita
A perfect bowl of cheddar broccoli salad goes well with any main course or simply enjoyed on it's own!