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Broccoli, Grape, and Pasta Salad

Broccoli salad with grape pasta salad color and crunch—pasta shells, bright green broccoli florets, and purple grapes in a creamy sweet-savory dressing. Chilled for 2 hours so every bite is coated and scoopable for potlucks.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 545
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Broccoli, Grape, and Pasta Salad
  • 1 lb pasta shells or rotini Use shells or rotini for sturdy scoops of dressing.
  • 4 cup broccoli florets Blanch until bright green, then chill to keep it crisp.
  • 2 cup red grapes Halve for easy fork bites.
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
  • 0.25 cup sugar
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 0.5 cup red onion Finely diced so it blends through the salad.
  • 0.5 cup sunflower seeds Reserve for topping after chilling.
  • 6 slices bacon Cook until crisp, then crumble.
  • salt To taste.
  • pepper To taste.

Method
 

Cook pasta and broccoli
  1. Cook pasta shells or rotini according to package directions, then drain and rinse with cold water.
  2. Blanch broccoli florets in boiling water for 2 minutes, then plunge into ice water and drain.
Make the creamy sweet-savory dressing
  1. Whisk mayonnaise, sour cream, sugar, red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper until smooth and pourable.
Assemble and chill
  1. Combine pasta, broccoli florets, red grapes, and red onion in a large bowl.
  2. Pour dressing over the salad and toss to coat so the pasta and broccoli look evenly glazed.
  3. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to let flavors meld and the dressing set slightly.
Finish before serving
  1. Top with sunflower seeds and bacon right before serving for crunch and contrast.

Notes

For best texture, blanch broccoli until bright green only, then use ice water to stop cooking; it stays crisp after chilling. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; add sunflower seeds and bacon just before serving. Freezing isn’t recommended because pasta and grapes soften. For a lighter option, replace mayonnaise + sour cream with a Greek-yogurt based dressing while keeping the same vinegar and sugar for the sweet-savory balance.