Spring Green Goddess Pasta Salad (Printer-Friendly)

Bright pasta with peas, herbs, and creamy green goddess dressing for fresh, easy dining.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 8 ounces short pasta such as fusilli, penne, or farfalle

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 cup fresh or frozen peas
03 - 1 cup sugar snap peas, trimmed and halved
04 - 1 small cucumber, thinly sliced
05 - 2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
06 - 2 spring onions, thinly sliced
07 - 1 small avocado, diced

→ 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, chopped
13 - 1 tablespoon fresh tarragon leaves, optional
14 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
15 - 1 small garlic clove
16 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
17 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
18 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ Garnish

19 - 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts, optional
20 - Extra chopped fresh herbs for garnish

# How To Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente. During the last 2 minutes of cooking, add the peas and sugar snap peas. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside to cool.
02 - While the pasta cooks, combine Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, parsley, basil, chives, tarragon if using, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, salt, and black pepper in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and vibrant green. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled pasta and peas with cucumber, spinach, spring onions, and diced avocado.
04 - Pour the green goddess dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat all ingredients evenly.
05 - Garnish with toasted pine nuts and extra fresh herbs before serving. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It comes together in under thirty minutes, which means you can actually make it the morning of your gathering without losing your mind.
  • The creamy dressing hits different when it's made from actual herbs instead of the dried stuff, and people genuinely ask what your secret is.
02 -
  • If you make this more than a couple hours ahead, the pasta will absorb all the dressing and you'll end up with something dry that needs rescuing with extra mayo—add the dressing right before serving whenever possible.
  • Don't blend the dressing too long or it gets weirdly warm and the herbs turn dark instead of that fresh bright green that makes people stop eating to ask what it is.
03 -
  • Taste the dressing before you add it to the salad—dressing that's been sitting in a blender can taste weirdly muted, so a quick adjustment of lemon or salt makes all the difference.
  • If you're bringing this somewhere, pack the dressing separately and dress it right before eating, or bring a little extra dressing in case the pasta has absorbed more than expected.
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