Green Goddess Pasta Salad (Printable version)
Vibrant pasta with creamy herb dressing, fresh herbs, crunchy veggies and toasted seeds—ready in 30 minutes.
# What you need:
→ Pasta
01 - 12 oz short pasta (fusilli, rotini, or penne)
→ Vegetables & Greens
02 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
03 - 1 cup cucumber, diced
04 - 1 cup sugar snap peas, sliced
05 - 2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
06 - 2 scallions, thinly sliced
07 - 1 small avocado, diced
→ Green Goddess Dressing
08 - 1/2 cup mayonnaise
09 - 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
10 - 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves
11 - 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
12 - 2 tbsp fresh chives
13 - 2 tbsp fresh tarragon or dill
14 - 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
15 - 1 small garlic clove
16 - 1 tsp Dijon mustard
17 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
→ Garnish
18 - 2 tbsp toasted pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds
19 - Fresh herbs, for serving
# How To:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the short pasta and cook until al dente according to package directions. Drain through a colander and rinse under cold running water to halt further cooking. Set aside to drain completely.
02 - While the pasta cooks, combine mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, parsley, basil, chives, tarragon, lemon juice, garlic, and Dijon mustard in a blender or food processor. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper, then blend until smooth and a vibrant green color. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, toss together the cooled pasta, halved cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber, sliced sugar snap peas, chopped baby spinach, thinly sliced scallions, and diced avocado.
04 - Pour the green goddess dressing over the pasta and vegetable mixture. Toss gently with a large spoon or tongs until every component is evenly coated.
05 - Transfer the salad to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with toasted pumpkin or sunflower seeds and scatter additional fresh herbs on top. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 4 hours to allow the flavors to develop.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The dressing comes together in a blender in under two minutes and tastes like a garden party in liquid form.
- It travels beautifully for picnics and potlucks without wilting or getting soggy if you toss it at the last second.
02 -
- Rinse the pasta thoroughly with cold water or the residual heat will continue cooking it and turn everything gummy.
- Taste the dressing before blending in more salt because the anchovy and mustard already carry a lot of seasoning.
03 -
- Toast the seeds in a dry skillet for two to three minutes until they start popping and smell nutty, because raw seeds on top of a beautiful salad are a missed opportunity.
- Make the dressing up to three days ahead and keep it in a jar in the fridge, then just cook pasta and chop vegetables when you are ready.