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You are here: Home / side dishes / Asian Style Pasta Salad with Broccoli and Peanuts

Asian Style Pasta Salad with Broccoli and Peanuts

Pasta salad with broccoli and peanuts adds delicious Thai flavors to a party side dish. Ingredients like soy sauce, peanut butter, rice vinegar, and red pepper flakes turn your Rotini pasta into an Asian flavor explosion. Add this to your list of summer side dish recipes for potluck parties, picnics, and weeknight dinners.

broccoli and pasta salad for a party

Best Party Pasta Salad

‘Tis the season for potluck parties and backyard bbq ideas, and this pasta salad with vegetables should be at the top of your list of recipes. It’s one of the best party side dishes when you’re heading outside because there’s no mayonnaise or other creamy base that you might worry about in the heat.

We use tricolor rotini for the salad but you can also substitute elbow or penne pasta if you want. The broccoli gets a quick cook technique so it’s softened but still firm.

This pasta salad has some of my favorite ingredients. The addition of soy sauce, peanut butter, rice vinegar, and red pepper flakes gives it an Asian flavor profile that everyone loves.

I made this recipe for a family picnic, and they all enjoyed it. It’s a dish you’ll want to add to your summer entertaining ideas. 

pasta and broccoli salad

Vegetarian Pasta Salad for a Crowd

This recipe is a fabulous addition to any buffet table when you bring a dish to a cookout, family reunion, or other pot luck. And it’s a delicious vegetarian option that’s filling and full of flavor and texture.

Serve it as a cold pasta salad or at room temperature. 

PARTY TIP: keep any salad chilled by filling a large bowl with ice, and then nestling a smaller bowl filled with the salad, inside the bigger bowl. The ice will surround the smaller bowl and keep it cool.

rotini with broccoli

Can you use frozen broccoli in pasta salad?

While I don’t recommend using frozen broccoli for this recipe, you could use it in a pinch. But you should be very specific and use the frozen broccoli florets microwave steam bags, and cook it for the shortest time listed.

The frozen version will not give you the same texture as using fresh. It will be softer than quick cooking your own. For best results you want the texture and bite of fresh broccoli that has been lightly boiled or steamed, for this recipe. 

pasta rotini and broccoli recipe

Here’s the recipe for the pasta salad I adapted from Martha Stewart’s version.

How to Make It

This is an easy recipe to make ahead and keep chilled until ready to take or serve to a dinner party.

  • Use tricolor Rotini pasta or whole wheat fusilli (corkscrew pasta)
  • Fresh broccoli florets
  • For the dressing you’ll need extra virgin olive oil, red-pepper flakes, rice vinegar, smooth peanut butter, soy sauce
  • Fresh scallions and dry roasted peanuts or lightly salted peanuts to top the salad with
  1. Cook pasta until al dente, then drain and rinse under cold water.
  2. Meanwhile, cut broccoli florets into bite-size pieces and add to boiling water. Cook for 2 minutes – DO NOT OVERCOOK. Remove the broccoli into a colander to drain. 
  3. Whisk together the dressing ingredients until smooth.
  4. Add cooled pasta, broccoli, scallions, and peanuts and toss to combine.
  5. Chill until ready to serve.
pasta salad with broccoli and peanuts recipe

Pasta Salad with Broccoli and Peanuts recipe

Yield: about 8 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

A blend of Asian flavors mixed over Rotini pasta and crisp broccoli make this side dish a winner for a party crowd.

Ingredients

  • 10 ounces tricolor rotini pasta
  • 2 heads (about 2 pounds) fresh broccoli
  • 1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced crosswise; to taste
  • 1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Dressing

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
  • 1/4 cup rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce

Instructions

  1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente according to package instructions. Drain, and rinse under cold water and set aside.
  2. Meanwhile, cut broccoli florets into bite-size pieces. 
  3. Fill a large sauce pan with water about 3/4 full. Bring to a boil.
  4. Add florets to boiling water, uncovered, and cook for 2 minutes - DO NOT OVERCOOK. Promptly remove broccoli into a colander to drain. 
  5. In a large bowl, whisk together oil, pepper flakes, vinegar, peanut butter, and soy sauce until smooth.
  6. Add cooled pasta and broccoli to dressing mixture and combine well.
  7. Top with scallions and peanuts and toss to combine.
  8. Serve immediately, or refrigerate and serve chilled.
© Celebrations At Home
Category: side dishes
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June 15, 2020 11:40 pm Chris Filed Under: side dishes

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Judy says

    May 27, 2015 at 7:34 pm

    This recipe is similar to one I used to make that actually called for a bottled ginger dressing as well as peanut butter and I think soba noodles. I would also occasionally add leftover chicken to it. It was a family favorite but I lost the recipe so I plan to give yours a try! Thank you for sharing!

    • Chris says

      May 28, 2015 at 1:43 pm

      Oh no, Judy, don’t you just hate when a favorite recipe goes missing! I hope you like this one!

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