Best 9 Sunny Broccoli Pasta Salad Recipes

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Immerse yourself in the vibrant flavors of spring with the delightful "Sunny Broccoli Pasta Salad." This refreshing salad is a burst of colors and textures, combining tender broccoli florets, vibrant cherry tomatoes, crisp red onion, and nutty almond slices. Tossed in a light and zesty lemon-herb dressing, this pasta salad is a perfect balance of tangy, savory, and subtly sweet. It's a versatile dish that complements any gathering, whether it's a casual family picnic, a summer potluck, or a light and healthy weekday lunch.

Let's cook with our recipes!

BROCCOLI PASTA SALAD



Broccoli Pasta Salad image

A quick and tasty pasta salad that can be served warm or cold.

Provided by Happy On My Hill

Categories     Salad     100+ Pasta Salad Recipes     Broccoli Pasta Salad Recipes

Time 35m

Yield 6

Number Of Ingredients 9

1 (8 ounce) package linguine pasta
1 (12 ounce) bag broccoli florets, cut into bite-size pieces
¼ cup olive oil
4 teaspoons minced garlic
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ cup finely shredded Romano cheese
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
salt to taste

Steps:

  • Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil; cook the linguine at a boil until tender yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes; drain and return to pot.
  • Place a steamer insert into a saucepan and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer. Bring water to a boil. Add broccoli, cover, and steam until tender, 3 to 5 minutes.
  • Heat olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat; cook and stir garlic and red pepper flakes until garlic is fragrant, 1 to 3 minutes. Add garlic mixture and broccoli to linguine; gently toss to coat. Add Romano cheese, parsley, black pepper, and salt; toss to combine.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 275.3 calories, Carbohydrate 32.2 g, Cholesterol 10.3 mg, Fat 12.8 g, Fiber 2.9 g, Protein 9.9 g, SaturatedFat 3.2 g, Sodium 141 mg, Sugar 2.3 g

SUNNY BROCCOLI PASTA SALAD



Sunny Broccoli Pasta Salad image

Toss together this delicious broccoli and pasta salad faster than you can stop for deli salad.

Provided by Betty Crocker Kitchens

Categories     Side Dish

Time 25m

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 8

1 box Betty Crocker™ Suddenly Salad® ranch & bacon pasta salad mix
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
4 cups small fresh broccoli florets
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup sunflower nuts

Steps:

  • Empty Pasta mix into 3-quart saucepan 2/3 full of boiling water. Gently boil uncovered 12 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Drain pasta; rinse with cold water. Shake to drain well.
  • In large bowl, stir together seasoning mix, mayonnaise, sugar and vinegar. Stir in pasta, broccoli, onion, raisins and sunflower nuts. Serve immediately, or refrigerate.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 420, Carbohydrate 35 g, Cholesterol 10 mg, Fat 4 1/2, Fiber 3 g, Protein 8 g, SaturatedFat 4 g, ServingSize 1 Serving, Sodium 380 mg, Sugar 12 g, TransFat 0 g

SUNNY'S QUICK STEAMED BROCCOLI SALAD



Sunny's Quick Steamed Broccoli Salad image

Provided by Sunny Anderson

Categories     side-dish

Time 45m

Yield 4 to 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 13

Two 10- to 12-ounce bags steamable broccoli florets, such as Birds Eye
4 to 6 sprigs fresh thyme
1 clove garlic, grated on a rasp grater
Zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sriracha
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon sugar
Freshly cracked black pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds

Steps:

  • For the broccoli: Steam the broccoli according to the package directions.
  • Add the thyme, garlic and zest to a large bowl and brush or rub the ingredients against the bottom and sides of the bowl. Add the steamed broccoli and toss. Refrigerate until chilled.
  • For the dressing: In a medium bowl, add the mayonnaise, sriracha, lemon juice, sugar and some black pepper. Whisk until the sugar dissolves.
  • For the salad: Add the red onions, raisins and cranberries to the bowl with the dressing. Stir to combine.
  • Discard the thyme from the broccoli. Add the dressing and gently fold until the broccoli is evenly coated. Serve chilled or at room temperature sprinkled with the almonds.

SUNNY'S GRILLED COBB PASTA SALAD



Sunny's Grilled Cobb Pasta Salad image

Provided by Sunny Anderson

Categories     side-dish

Time 40m

Yield 4 to 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 16

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 teaspoon hot Hungarian paprika
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil, for drizzling
2 ears corn, shucked
Kosher salt
1 pound bowtie pasta
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 avocado, flesh diced
1 scallion, cut into thirds
Zest of 1 lime plus 1 teaspoon lime juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, chopped
4 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
8 slices crisped bacon, chopped
1/2 cup blue cheese or gorgonzola crumbles

Steps:

  • For the grill: Prepare a grill for high heat.
  • Cut each chicken breast open and in half to make 4 thin chicken fillets. With a meat mallet, gently pound each chicken fillet to even thickness. Sprinkle the chicken with the paprika and some salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil.
  • Put both the chicken and corn on the grill above the direct heat. Cook the chicken on one side for about 4 minutes, then flip and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. For the corn, simply rotate to get charred and blistered kernels on all sides. This takes about the same time as the chicken, so tend to both simultaneously. Remove the chicken from the grill and cover with aluminum foil for 10 minutes. Allow the corn to cool enough to cut the kernels off, then do just that. Put the corn in a bowl. Once rested, finely chop the chicken: not big chunks, nice lil bits the size of peas.
  • For the pasta: Bring a pot of water to a boil and season with salt. Cook the pasta to al dente according to the package instructions. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.
  • For the dressing: In a small food processor, add the mayonnaise, avocado, scallion, lime zest and juice, a pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Blend until smooth; if needed, add a splash of water to thin to desired consistency.
  • For the salad: To the large bowl of pasta, add the sun-dried tomatoes and dressing and mix to combine. Arrange the chicken, corn, eggs, bacon and cheese on top of the pasta salad.

TURKEY SAUSAGE AND BROCCOLI PASTA



Turkey Sausage and Broccoli Pasta image

Provided by Food Network Kitchen

Categories     main-dish

Time 40m

Yield 2 servings

Number Of Ingredients 8

8 ounces rigatoni
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound turkey sausage
Red pepper flakes, to taste
1 onion, chopped
3/4 cups chicken stock
1/2 red pepper, sliced
1 1/2 cups broccoli florets

Steps:

  • Prepare rigatoni according to directions on box. Remove sausage meat from casing, set aside. In hot skillet saute onions. Add pepper and crumbled sausage meat. Stir and cook over medium high heat for 5 minutes. Add garlic and red pepper flakes. Add chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Add florets and cover to steam. Once broccoli is tender add rigatoni to pan. Stir to coat. Serve.

SIMPLE SUNNY BROCCOLI SALAD RECIPE - (4.5/5)



Simple Sunny Broccoli Salad Recipe - (4.5/5) image

Provided by á-176348

Number Of Ingredients 8

1 cup mayonnaise or reduced-fat mayonnaise dressing or salad dressing
1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup raisins
3 to 5 tablespoons sugar, depending on how sweet you like your salad
2 tablespoons vinegar
7 cups chopped fresh broccoli florets
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
8 slices bacon, crisp-cooked, drained and crumbled

Steps:

  • In a large bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, onion, raisins, sugar and vinegar. Add chopped broccoli and stir to coat. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours. Just before serving, stir in sunflower seeds and bacon.

SUNNY VEGETABLE SALAD



Sunny Vegetable Salad image

A terrific mixture of crisp, chewy, fresh and sweet ingredients makes this salad taste as good as it looks. A nutritious vegetable like broccoli is a lot more palatable "dressed up" this way. -Char Holm, Goodhue, Minnesota

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories     Lunch

Time 15m

Yield 12-16 servings.

Number Of Ingredients 10

5 cups fresh broccoli florets
5 cups fresh cauliflowerets
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2/3 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
1/4 cup sunflower kernels

Steps:

  • In a large salad bowl, toss the broccoli, cauliflower, cheese, onion and raisins. In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, sugar and vinegar. Pour over salad; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Sprinkle with bacon and sunflower seeds.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 231 calories, Fat 18g fat (5g saturated fat), Cholesterol 22mg cholesterol, Sodium 227mg sodium, Carbohydrate 14g carbohydrate (11g sugars, Fiber 2g fiber), Protein 6g protein.

SUN-DRIED TOMATO AND BROCCOLI PASTA SALAD



Sun-Dried Tomato and Broccoli Pasta Salad image

This delicious pasta salad recipe was clipped from the Sunday paper. It can be served warm or chilled.

Provided by Maureen in MA

Categories     Vegetable

Time 30m

Yield 6-8 side servings, 6-8 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 8

1 bunch broccoli, sliced 1/8-inch up to crowns
1 cup sun-dried tomato, julienne cut, approx. 3 . 5 oz
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
12 ounces tri-colored rotini pasta
4 tablespoons pine nuts (optional)
salt & pepper, to taste

Steps:

  • Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
  • Add broccoli, sun-dried tomatoes (including oil if packed in oil), and red pepper. Saute until broccoli is tender, about 6 minutes.
  • Add garlic and heat for another 2 minutes, being careful not to burn garlic.
  • Remove skillet from heat.
  • Prepare pasta, according to package directions. Rinse in cold water, and add to skillet.
  • Add pine nuts to skillet, toss salad, and transfer to serving bowl.
  • Salt and pepper, to taste.
  • Serve warm or chilled.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 434.5, Fat 19.6, SaturatedFat 2.7, Sodium 225.8, Carbohydrate 55.7, Fiber 5.9, Sugar 6.7, Protein 11.8

SUNNY BROCCOLI SALAD WITH BACON



Sunny Broccoli Salad With Bacon image

This salad is easy, quick, colorful, and delicious! I got the recipe at a potluck church homecoming dinner.

Provided by joyt3595

Categories     Pork

Time 40m

Yield 8-10 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 9

1 1/2 lbs fresh broccoli
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar (optional)
1/2 lb bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled

Steps:

  • Clean and cut the whole broccoli into small pieces.
  • Use all of the broccoli except the end chunks.
  • Mix together broccoli, onion, sunflower seeds, raisins and mushrooms.
  • Dressing: Mix together the mayonnaise, vinegar, and sugar.
  • Toss dressing and bacon with salad ingredients twenty minutes before serving.
  • Toss again right before serving.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 463.9, Fat 28.7, SaturatedFat 6.5, Cholesterol 26.9, Sodium 605.2, Carbohydrate 45, Fiber 14.2, Sugar 13.4, Protein 15.4

Tips:

  • Use fresh ingredients: Fresh broccoli, tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese will give your pasta salad the best flavor.
  • Cook the pasta al dente: This means that the pasta should be cooked until it is just tender, but still has a slight bite to it. Overcooked pasta will be mushy and unpleasant.
  • Chop the vegetables evenly: This will help them to cook evenly and will make your salad more visually appealing.
  • Use a flavorful dressing: The dressing is what will bring all the flavors of your pasta salad together. Be sure to use a dressing that you enjoy and that complements the other ingredients.
  • Chill the salad before serving: This will help the flavors to meld and will make the salad more refreshing.

Conclusion:

Sunny Broccoli Pasta Salad is a delicious and easy-to-make dish that is perfect for a summer picnic or potluck. It is also a great way to use up leftover pasta and vegetables. With its bright colors and refreshing flavors, this salad is sure to be a hit with everyone who tries it.

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