Green Goddess Pasta Salad (Print)
Vibrant pasta salad with fresh herbs, crisp vegetables, and tangy homemade Green Goddess dressing for summer gatherings.
# What You Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 10 oz short pasta (fusilli, rotini, or penne)
→ Vegetables
02 - 1 cup snap peas, trimmed and halved
03 - 1 cup cucumber, diced
04 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
05 - 1/2 cup radishes, thinly sliced
06 - 1/2 cup baby spinach, roughly chopped
07 - 1/4 cup scallions, thinly sliced
→ Green Goddess Dressing
08 - 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
09 - 1/4 cup mayonnaise
10 - 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves
11 - 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
12 - 2 tbsp fresh chives
13 - 1 tbsp fresh tarragon (or 1 tsp dried)
14 - 2 tbsp lemon juice
15 - 1 small garlic clove
16 - 1 tsp Dijon mustard
17 - 1/4 tsp salt
18 - 1/4 tsp black pepper
19 - 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
→ Optional Toppings
20 - 1 ripe avocado, diced
21 - 2 tbsp toasted sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds
# How to Make:
01 - Boil salted water and cook pasta according to package directions. Add snap peas during the final 2 minutes of cooking. Drain thoroughly, rinse under cold water to stop cooking process, and set aside.
02 - Combine Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, parsley, basil, chives, tarragon, lemon juice, garlic, Dijon mustard, salt, black pepper, and olive oil in a blender or food processor. Blend until completely smooth and bright green in color.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, add the cooled pasta and snap peas along with cucumber, cherry tomatoes, radishes, spinach, and scallions.
04 - Pour the prepared Green Goddess dressing over the pasta and vegetable mixture. Fold gently to coat all ingredients evenly without mashing the vegetables.
05 - Garnish with diced avocado and toasted seeds if desired. Serve immediately chilled or allow to come to room temperature for 15-20 minutes before serving.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The dressing keeps for days in the fridge, so you can drizzle it over everything from roasted potatoes to grain bowls all week long
- That snap pea trick, cooking them right with the pasta, was a happy accident that makes everything come together faster
- Something about the crisp vegetables against the creamy dressing makes people forget they are eating something so fresh and light
02 -
- The pasta will soak up some of that dressing as it sits, so if you are making this ahead, reserve about a quarter of the dressing to toss in right before serving
- Fresh herbs are absolutely the star here, and while dried tarragon works in a pinch, fresh herbs make the difference between a good pasta salad and one people request for every gathering
03 -
- Reserve about a half cup of pasta water before draining, and whisk a tablespoon into the dressing if it seems too thick to coat everything evenly
- Taste your dressing before adding it to the pasta, since fresh herbs can vary in intensity and you might want to adjust the lemon or salt slightly