Spring Green Goddess Pasta Salad (Printable Version)

Vibrant pasta salad with peas, herbs, spinach, and creamy dressing for fresh spring flavors.

# Ingredient List:

→ 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 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 such as parsley, chives, and basil

# How to Make:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. During the final 2 minutes, add peas and sugar snap peas. Drain and rinse under cold water to halt cooking. Set aside to cool.
02 - While 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. Adjust seasoning to taste.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, combine cooled pasta and peas with cucumber, spinach, spring onions, and diced avocado.
04 - Pour prepared dressing over salad and toss gently until all ingredients are evenly coated.
05 - Garnish with toasted pine nuts and additional fresh herbs immediately before serving.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It comes together in under 30 minutes, which means you can make it the morning of a picnic without losing your mind.
  • The green goddess dressing is so good that you'll find yourself dipping vegetables into it even when the salad is gone.
  • It's naturally light but genuinely satisfying, the kind of thing you can eat for lunch and not feel weighed down for the rest of the day.
02 -
  • Don't dress the salad more than a couple of hours before serving or the pasta will absorb too much liquid and become mushy, which I learned the hard way at a catering job.
  • If you're making this ahead, keep the dressing separate and toss it in right before you eat, adding the avocado and fresh cucumber at that moment too.
03 -
  • If you can find fresh tarragon, use it; it adds a subtle complexity that makes people wonder what your secret ingredient is.
  • Blend the dressing until it's completely silky smooth, not just chunky with herbs, because that's what makes it coat everything evenly and look almost professionally made.
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