Green Goddess Pasta Salad (Printable)
Vibrant pasta with fresh herbs, vegetables, and creamy dressing
# What You Need:
→ Pasta and Base
01 - 10 oz short pasta (fusilli, rotini, or penne)
→ Fresh 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 tablespoons fresh chives
13 - 1 tablespoon fresh tarragon (or 1 teaspoon dried)
14 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice
15 - 1 small garlic clove
16 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
17 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
18 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
19 - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
→ Optional Toppings
20 - 1 ripe avocado, diced
21 - 2 tablespoons toasted sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds
# How-To Steps:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions. During the final 2 minutes of cooking, add snap peas. Drain thoroughly and rinse under cold running water to stop cooking process.
02 - Combine Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, parsley, basil, chives, tarragon, lemon juice, garlic, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, and olive oil in a blender or food processor. Process until completely smooth and bright green in color.
03 - Place cooked pasta, snap peas, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, radishes, spinach, and scallions in a large mixing bowl. Pour dressing over salad and toss gently until all ingredients are evenly coated.
04 - Garnish with diced avocado and toasted seeds if desired. Serve immediately chilled or allow to come to room temperature before serving.
# Helpful Tips:
01 -
- The dressing keeps for days in the fridge, so you can double it and use it on everything from sandwiches to roasted vegetables
- People will think you spent hours chopping when really it comes together in the time it takes pasta to cook
02 -
- Rinse the pasta under cold water immediately after draining or the residual heat will wilt the fresh vegetables and make the dressing separate
- The dressing tastes even better after an hour in the refrigerator, giving the garlic time to mellow and the herbs to deepen
03 -
- Room temperature vegetables mix better with the dressing than cold ones straight from the refrigerator
- A food processor makes quicker work of the herbs than a blender, though both work perfectly fine