Green Goddess Pasta Salad (Printable)
Creamy green goddess pasta with fresh herbs, crisp vegetables, avocado and toasted seeds—ready in 30 minutes.
# What You'll 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 tablespoons fresh chives
13 - 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon or dill
14 - 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
15 - 1 small garlic clove
16 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
17 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
→ Garnish
18 - 2 tablespoons toasted pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds
19 - Fresh herbs for serving
# How to Make It:
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 cooking. Set aside to drain completely.
02 - Combine mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, parsley, basil, chives, tarragon, lemon juice, garlic, and Dijon mustard in a blender or food processor. Season with salt and pepper. Blend until smooth and vividly green. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, toss together the cooled pasta, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, sugar snap peas, baby spinach, scallions, and diced avocado.
04 - Pour the green goddess dressing over the pasta and vegetable mixture. Toss gently until every ingredient is evenly coated with dressing.
05 - Transfer to a serving bowl and finish with toasted pumpkin seeds and additional fresh herbs. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 4 hours to allow flavors to develop.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The dressing doubles as a dip, a sandwich spread, and basically anything that needs a bright herbaceous lift, so make extra and thank yourself later.
- It comes together in the time it takes the pasta to cook, which means almost zero waiting when hunger hits hard.
02 -
- Do not dress the salad more than four hours ahead or the spinach and avocado will start looking tired and the whole bowl loses that fresh just made appeal.
- If the dressing thickens in the fridge, stir in a splash of cold water or extra lemon juice until it loosens back to a pourable consistency.
03 -
- Toast the seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat for just two to three minutes, shaking constantly, until they start popping and smelling nutty, because burnt seeds taste bitter and ruin the whole finish.
- Adding the avocado right before serving rather than mixing it in early preserves those gorgeous creamy cubes that make each forkful feel luxurious.