Pasta and noodles · 30 min
Warm Pasta Salad with Butternut Squash, Apple, Goat Cheese & Pecans
- 30 min
- 2–6 servings
- 689 kcal / serving
This warm pasta salad pairs roasted apples and butternut squash with creamy goat cheese and toasted pecans, delivering soft-to-crisp textures and a tangy dressing. It comes together quickly for a weeknight meal that still feels balanced.
Free on iPhone · servings scaled, grocery list written for you.
Ingredients
- ½ smallbutternut squash
- ½ small pkgfresh thyme
- 1Gala apple
- 1 clovegarlic
- ½ (4 oz) loggoat cheese
- ⅓ cuppecan halves
- 5 ozrotini pasta
- ½shallot
- Gala apples
- shallots
From the pantry: balsamic vinegar, black pepper, Dijon mustard, extra virgin olive oil, salt
Cookware
baking sheet pan · chef's knife · colander · cutting board · garlic press (optional) · measuring cups · measuring spoons · medium saucepan · mixing bowls · oven mitts · stirring spoon · tongs · vegetable peeler · whisk or fork
Kitchen help: cups to grams · tablespoons to cups · oven temperatures · butter conversions · what each cooking tool is for · ingredient substitutes
More dinner ideas: easy dinners
Shopping list by aisle
Produce
- ½ smallbutternut squash
- ½ small pkgfresh thyme
- 1Gala apple
- 1 clovegarlic
- ½shallot
- Gala apples
- shallots
Dairy, eggs & chilled
- ½ (4 oz) loggoat cheese
Pantry & dry goods
- ⅓ cuppecan halves
- 5 ozrotini pasta
3 aisles for this recipe. Plan a week in MealPot and it merges every dinner into one list in this order, scaled to your household.
Ingredients for 2, 4 and 6 servings
| Ingredient | 2 servings | 4 servings | 6 servings |
|---|---|---|---|
| butternut squash | ½ small | 1 small | 1 ½ small |
| fresh thyme | ½ small pkg | 1 small pkg | 1 small pkg |
| Gala apple | 1 | ||
| garlic | 1 clove | 2 cloves | 3 cloves |
| goat cheese | ½ (4 oz) log | 1 (4 oz) log | 1 ½ (4 oz) logs |
| pecan halves | ⅓ cup | ⅔ cup | 1 cup |
| rotini pasta | 5 oz | 10 oz | 15 oz |
| shallot | ½ | 1 | 2 |
| Gala apples | 2 | 3 |
Quantities in US units. Any other household size: MealPot scales the recipe and the grocery list for you.
Directions
- Roast the apples and squash on a sheet pan with thyme, a light drizzle of oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper until tender and golden, about 20 minutes, stirring halfway.
- Meanwhile, cook the rotini in salted water until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes, then drain and rinse under cold water.
- Whisk olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper in a bowl to form the dressing.
- Peel and mince the garlic and shallot; stir them into the dressing and set aside.
- Roughly chop the pecans and keep them nearby for sprinkling later.
- When the pasta and vegetables finish, toss the hot pasta with the roasted apples and squash in the dressing until evenly coated, then fold in the goat cheese and pecans for serving.
Two tips
- Roast the apples and squash ahead and refrigerate; rewarm with the pasta for a quicker finish.
- If you like a sharper bite, whisk in a touch more Dijon or balsamic before mixing with the pasta.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 689 kcal
- Protein
- 18 g
- Carbs
- 86 g
- Fat
- 33 g
- Fiber
- 11 g
- Sodium
- 119 mg
Estimates from the recipe's published nutrition data; they change with the version you pick above.
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Ingredient quantities, timing and nutrition follow the original Mealime recipe ↗ (captured 2026-09-12). The photo is MealPot's AI-rendered illustration of the finished dish; the description, directions, aisle list and serving table are MealPot's.