Green Goddess Pasta Salad (Printable)

Vibrant pasta salad featuring tender short pasta, cucumbers, and fresh herbs in creamy avocado-yogurt dressing.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 9 oz short pasta such as fusilli, rotini, or penne
02 - Salt for boiling water

→ Vegetables and Herbs

03 - 1 medium cucumber, diced
04 - 2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
05 - 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
06 - 1/4 cup fresh chives, chopped
07 - 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

→ Green Goddess Dressing

08 - 1 ripe avocado, peeled and pitted
09 - 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
10 - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
11 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
12 - 1 garlic clove, minced
13 - 1 to 2 tablespoons water for thinning
14 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
15 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

# Steps:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold running water until completely cooled. Set aside.
02 - While pasta cooks, add avocado, Greek yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, salt, and black pepper to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy, adding water one tablespoon at a time as needed to reach a pourable consistency.
03 - Transfer cooled pasta to a large mixing bowl. Add diced cucumber, chopped spinach, parsley, chives, and basil. Toss to combine all ingredients.
04 - Pour green goddess dressing over the pasta mixture. Gently toss until all ingredients are evenly coated with dressing.
05 - Taste the salad and adjust seasonings with additional salt or fresh lemon juice as needed.
06 - Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 2 hours to allow flavors to meld together. Garnish with additional fresh herbs before serving if desired.

# Chef’s Tips:

01 -
  • It stays creamy without mayonnaise, so it never gets that weird coating after sitting in the fridge.
  • The avocado dressing clings to every pasta curl and keeps the whole thing feeling light instead of heavy.
  • You can make it ahead and it actually tastes better after an hour when the flavors soak in.
  • It uses up all those herb bunches that wilt too fast in the crisper drawer.
02 -
  • Rinse the pasta with cold water immediately after draining or the residual heat will wilt the spinach and turn the avocado brown.
  • Make the dressing right before assembling, avocado oxidizes fast and you'll lose that vibrant green color if it sits too long.
  • Don't overdress it, you can always add more but you can't take it back once it's soupy.
03 -
  • Freeze any leftover dressing in an ice cube tray and pop one out to toss with roasted vegetables or spread on sandwiches.
  • If the dressing breaks and looks grainy, add a teaspoon of cold water and blend again for 10 seconds to bring it back together.
  • Use a potato masher to break up the avocado before blending if your blender struggles with thick mixtures.
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