Pasta Salad with Broccoli, Carrots, and Pepper Jack Cheese

Tips for Making Pasta Salad with Broccoli, Carrots, and Pepper Jack Cheese

1. To prep the broccoli, remove the florets and cut them into bite-sized pieces. To peel the stalk, use a pairing knife to slip it under the thick outer skin, then peel it with one gentle pull. That reveals the tender flesh, which I consider the best part of the broccoli. Once peeled, dice it into ¼-inch thick slices/coins. An even easier way to prep the broccoli is to buy a 1-pound bag of florets and cut them into bite-size pieces (no peeling of stalk required.) 😉🥦
2. In a small bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to toss with the pasta. (Dressing can be made and refrigerated for up to 3 days in advance.)
3. Next, bring 1 gallon of water to a boil in a large pasta pot. Add salt and pasta, and cook until just tender, adding broccoli and carrots for the last minute of cooking. Drain the pasta, broccoli, and carrots, and spread them out on a rimmed baking sheet or even two if you need to cool them quickly. Let cool to room temperature. Letting them cool to room temperature is a key step. If you add the other ingredients to hot pasta, it will absorb the creamy dressing, and essentially cook the red onion, which is not good eats. I recommend that once the pasta mixture is at room temperature, you transfer the rimmed baking sheet to the refrigerator to cool further, or transfer the pasta mixture to a large bowl and refrigerate it.
4. For the red onion, once you cut it in half, you should be able to tell if it has a strong odor, which would make for a strong taste. If that is the case, dice the onion half along the lines of the petals, then cut again perpendicular to those lines towards the root for an even dice. Then soak the strong onion in cold water for a few minutes. Drain through a fine-mesh sieve and dry on paper towels. This is a great tip if you know you will be keeping the salad in the refrigerator for several days.
5. Transfer the cooled pasta mixture to a large bowl (if it’s not in one already- see tip #3), and add the cheese, sunflower seeds, red onion, and parsley. (Pasta salad can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 2 hours.) When ready to serve, add the creamy dressing, toss to coat, and let stand for 15 minutes. Remember to season well with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper!

Substitutions

• Substitute another bite-sized pasta shape for the rotini.
• Use whole wheat pasta for a healthier alternative.
• Substitute cauliflower or sliced cherry tomatoes (they do not have to be cooked with the pasta) for the broccoli.
• Substitute Colby-Jack, Cheddar, Monterey Jack, or Swiss for the Pepper Jack.
• Substitute toasted almonds or pumpkin seeds for the sunflower seeds.
• Use shallots or green onions instead of the red onion.
• Adjust the amounts of mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, and sour cream to suit your diet and palate.
• Substitute rice wine vinegar or white wine vinegar for the lemon juice.

Serving Suggestions

Pasta salads are excellent dishes to prepare for potlucks, barbecues, or pasta parties. They can be served as a main dish or as a side to many other dishes. Here are some ideas.

• Ultimate Steakhouse Burger
• Barbecue Chicken Kebabs with Bacon Rub
• Barbecued Pulled Chicken
• BBQ Pork Tenderloin with Romaine and Red Cabbage Slaw
• Grilled Ham Steaks
• Hickory Smoked Pulled Pork
• Hickory Smoked Beef Brisket
• Grilled Butterflied Brown Sugar Chicken
• Creamed Corn
• Corn and Lima Bean Succotash
• Creamy Corn Pudding Soufflé
• Sautéed Corn with Manchego and Lime
• Smothered Lettuce
• Classic Creamy Coleslaw
• Summer Fruit Salad with Lime-Mint Syrup

You can also add leftover grilled chicken or diced ham, but remember to increase the dressing amount, since the dressing-to-pasta salad ratio will be off, which can make the salad drier.