Sweet Maple Bacon Pasta Salad

Do you need an easy recipe, perfect for picnics and packed with fresh vegetables? This Sweet Maple Bacon Pasta Salad made with Mann’s Fresh Vegetables Nourish Bowls is delicious!

Sweet Maple Bacon Pasta Salad

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I am always looking for ways to get more vegetables into our meals. So when the folks at Mann’s Fresh Vegetables sent me some of their Nourish Bowls and asked me to create a recipe with them, I was so excited to help! They have 5 varieties of Nourish Bowls (and you can find a coupon on their website). I chose the Maple Bacon Brussels Nourish Bowl to try out… because… well… bacon!

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This recipe is so easy to whip up. You can do all the prep work while you’re waiting for the water to boil and the pasta to cook. (This is my absolute favorite pot for cooking pasta.) Because the veggies are all washed and chopped for you, it takes practically no time at all to get them ready. Just a quick steam in the microwave and they are done!

Seriously. Any recipe that starts with fresh vegetables that are already prepped for me is a winner!

One of my favorite things about this recipe is that it has vegetables that we don’t eat often. John and I both actually like Brussels sprouts. (Did you notice the beautiful sliced Brussels sprouts in the pictures?) But we never have them, because I never think about them! And I’ve always sort of thought kale was… not good… but in this recipe, it’s shredded and quickly cooked, so it’s nice and tender with a mild flavor. The matchstick kohlrabi was fun, too! It’s crispy and a little sweet when it’s raw, but soft and tender with a very mild flavor after it’s cooked.

I am not normally one who likes my bacon paired with sweet stuff. If I get bacon and pancakes, I keep the bacon on a second plate so it doesn’t touch the maple syrup from the pancakes. But this recipe… there is just a hint of sweetness, and with the pasta and other vegetables in the mix, it’s not overpowering at all. The Bacon Maple Brussels Nourish Bowl comes with a delicious maple dressing. But when you add a bunch of pasta to the veggies, there isn’t quite enough dressing to go around. So I mixed up a little more to toss with the pasta. (Don’t worry, it’s easy! The directions are in the recipe card below.)

And did I mention bacon? What’s a pasta salad without bacon? The Nourish Bowls have real bacon bits, but I added some more bacon. Because you can never have too much bacon. Right?

What’s your go-to way to “sneak” some extra veggies into your family’s meals?

Enjoy!

3 Ways to Take the Fear Out of This Recipe

• How to Use Different Types of Pasta
• How to Cook Bacon in the Oven
• Which Cooking Oil Should I Use?

3 More Recipes to Try

• BLT Pasta Salad
• Garden Pasta Salad
• Green Tomato Pasta Salad

Printable Recipe Card for Sweet Maple Bacon Pasta Salad

Sweet Maple Bacon Pasta Salad

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

25 mins

 

This Sweet Maple Bacon Pasta Salad is packed with fresh vegetables and bacon, and has a lightly sweet dressing. It's perfect for summer picnics, pitch-ins, or a family night in.

Author: Marybeth Feutz

Recipe type: Side

Makes: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 12 ounces rotini pasta
• 2 Mann's Fresh Vegetables Bacon Maple Brussels Nourish Bowls
• 6 slices bacon, cooked crisp
• 3 Tablespoons canola oil
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg

Instructions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
2. While pasta is cooking, cook bacon (I like to cook mine in the oven). Drain grease, and set bacon aside to cool.
3. In a small bowl, mix maple syrup, cinnamon, and nutmeg. (Use a fork or a small whisk to get the cinnamon and nutmeg to mix into the syrup.) Set aside.
4. Remove the covers from the Nourish Bowls. Pour the sauce and bacon packets over the vegetables and toss to mix. Place both bowls in the microwave, cover loosely with paper towels, and microwave on high for 4 minutes. Remove paper towels, stir gently, and set aside.
5. When the pasta is cooked, drain it and place it in a large bowl.
6. Toss pasta with the canola oil to keep it from sticking.
7. Add the cooked veggies from the Nourish Bowls to the pasta.
8. Crumble the bacon and add to the pasta.
9. Pour the maple syrup mixture over the pasta.
10. Gently toss to mix and coat the pasta and veggies with the maple dressing.
11. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours, or overnight.
12. Serve chilled.

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