Welcome to April’s Secret Recipe Club and Group C’s posting day. I hope that everyone had a wonderful Easter holiday.
Last month, I spaced and totally forgot to sign up for the March reveal. (Luckily, Debbi let me help out with the orphans.) I was at least alert for the April sign-ups and and was thrilled to receive Mommy’s Menu. Mommy’s Menu is penned by Toni, a mom of “seven little people.”
I really wanted to stay away from sweet stuff and let me tell you there are some great recipes on Toni’s blog. My original intent was to make one of her delicious entrees like Sticky Asian Chicken, Thai Chicken Salad, or Chi Chi’s Chimichangas. (Does anyone else remember Chi Chi’s?)
But I unfortunately kind of spaced again….I found myself on Easter weekend and I was still thinking about what to make. We finally had a beautiful day and worked in the yard all day on Saturday. Easter Sunday followed with a ham dinner—no room for sticky chicken, chicken salad or chimichangas. I turned to the salad section of Mommy’s Menu and found a great accompaniment for that Easter ham: Broccoli, Grape and Pasta Salad.
Broccoli, Grape and Whole Wheat Pasta Saladslightly adapted from Broccoli, Grape and Pasta Salad
1 (10-oz.) box whole wheat bow-tie pasta1/2 c. olive oil mayonnaise1/2 c. lite sour cream1/4 c. agave nectar1/3 c. red wine vinegar1 t. sea salt
1 lb. fresh broccoli, cut in florets
1/3 c. red onion, diced2 c. seedless red grapes, halved
1 c. sliced almonds8 cooked bacon slices, crumbled
Cook pasta according to the package directions.While pasta is cooking, whisk together mayo, sour cream, agave nectar, vinegar, and sea salt. Set aside.Drain pasta and then rinse in cold water. Drain well. Combine pasta with mayo mixture. Toss in broccoli, onion, grapes, almonds, and bacon.Chill for at least three hours.
Important safety tip: Use a bigger bowl. 🙂
The only adaptations I made to this salad was to use whole wheat pasta, to add unadorned almonds (Toni candied hers) and to use half as much mayo but add 1/2 cup lite sour cream.
Thanks, Toni, for a great side dish for our Easter table.
Thanks, also, to our SRC hosts Jane, Sarah, Suzanne, and the fabulous Group C host, Debbi. They do a super fantastic job keeping us all organized, informed, and on track! Thank you, ladies!
For all my past SRC posts, click here.
Comments & Replies
34 responses to “Broccoli, Grape and Whole Wheat Pasta Salad”
Quick to make and very delicious too, Debra. I like the add of grapes in the pasta salad.
Thanks, Angie. By the time the pasta was finished, I had all the veggies and grapes prepared. Easy-peasy!
This recipe looks like it was a great addition to your Easter table – I’m thinking it would also be a nice addition to my Mother’s Day table! YUM!
You are so right, Kelli. This salad would rock the Mother’s Day lunch table!
This pasta salad looks exquisite, delicious job 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
As always, thank you Uru. Hope things are well where you are!
Looks like a great salad. I’ll be sure to check out her blog!
Please do check it out, Beth. This salad is even better as leftovers! (It was a great lunch today.)
You definitely picked an awesome recipe to make. I love broccoli salads and while I’ve had the craisins and rains in them before, I’ve never added grapes. Sounds fantastic.
Well, now you have me thinking about adding craisins to this mix. 🙂
Oh this is cool! I love broccoli salad with raisins in it, but this is neat b/c it has fresh grapes, and also pasta which I’ve never had before. Sounds yummy! I waited until the last week to get my recipe made – I always have good intentions to do my recipe immediately but almost always wait until the last minute! Procrastinator. I do like that we can sign up more in advance now and have more time…though I’m not sure I’ll get my recipe done any sooner. More time to procrastinate. haha 😉
Yep, I think this will just give me and extra month to space out! LOL This is really a great salad (even if it was last minute—I am so glad I made it!)
Looks like a fun and unique salad and a wonderful side to a ham dinner. I love the old broccoli and raisin salad that went around a long time ago. This looks like a new, delicious rendition.
Thanks, Chris. My MiL makes an old fashioned broccoli salad that is similar to this but adds kidney beans and grated cheese (sans the grapes). This salad reminds me of hers, too. I had totally forgotten about the old broccoli and raisin salad until I made this.
Hope you had a wonderful Easter, Debra! This salad looks like a delightful addition to any meal!
Thank you, Liz. Hope you did as well.
We make a similar one without pasta, but not we’re thinking…why not?!?
Why not definitely try it? Lol
Hi Debra!
I was laughing to myself when you said you did a bit of “spacing” out, I can definitely understand. The other night I put dinner in the oven and totally forgot to put the oven on! Marion said she’s rubbing off on me, lol…Your Pasta Salad sounds quite intriguing. I have only recently learned of the deliciousness that grapes can add to salad. Now I’m real curious about Brocolli and Grapes in the same salad. Must be delicious! Thanks for sharing the recipe and the yummy looking links…
Louise, I am the quintessential space cadet sometimes. The older I get, the worse it is. 🙂
I love these light meal types of salads! And thr addition of fruits to salad has started becoming an obsession to me!
It is becoming the season for light salads.
This pasta salad is a complete, delicious meal…Yum!!
It has certainly been many complete and delicious lunches for me this week!
Now that I am on Weight Watchers I will have to give this one a try.
Hope you do, Veronica!
That looks so good. Perfect for any time.
I think this will be a great salad for summer BBQs, too.
I love salads like this. This one has so much flavor, and great texture. Really good stuff! Thanks so much.
I am really getting into whole wheat pastas—they tend to be “toothier.” 🙂
Love your salad Debra look absolutely delicious:)
Thank you so much, Gloria!
I am so with you about wanting to be outside on a beautiful day and not in the kitchen. We’ve been having some lovely days here and it’s been quite hard keeping up with the blog. Glad to read that I’m not the only one. 😉 Good call on the salad. It looks yummy and great for this time of year!
Thanks, MJ. We are gearing up for a stormy weekend but there are a few herb and garden festivals I think we will make today. Have a great weekend.