The summer salad season has officially kicked off ! Southern Living is required reading at Places In The Home, and my late week digital discovery impressed me so much I posted it to our Facebook page. The more I thought about this week’s recipe, the more my culinary thoughts turned to Southern Living’s Grape, Broccoli and Pasta Salad. The cupboards and refrigerator were well stocked with the necessary ingredients, it was raining cats and dogs out, and my calendar was clear of obligations. Perfect! Let’s copy, print and create summer salad magic.
Southern Living~ Photo: Jennifer Davick
Grape, Broccoli and Pasta Salad
Ingredients
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
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°. Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through. Prepare pasta according to package directions.
Meanwhile, cut broccoli florets from stems, separating florets into small pieces using tip of a paring knife. Peel away tough outer layer of stems, and finely chop stems.
Whisk together mayonnaise and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl; add broccoli, hot cooked pasta, and grapes, and stir to coat. I used bacon ranch salad dressing instead of mayonnaise and also added extra bacon. Cover and chill 3 hours. Stir bacon and pecans into salad just before serving.
