Green Goddess Pasta Salad Recipe
User Reviews
5
Green Goddess Pasta Salad Recipe
Description
This recipe begins by boiling casarecce pasta in salted water until al dente, adding frozen peas during the last minute of cooking to preserve their texture and color. After draining and cooling, the pasta and peas are combined with chopped fresh spinach, halved Castelvetrano green olives, and seeded, chopped cucumber. The Green Goddess dressing features a blend of mayonnaise, sour cream, parsley, basil, chives, lemon juice, and optional garlic, pureed until smooth to coat the salad ingredients evenly.
The salad balances the tender bite of pasta, crisp cucumber, and fresh spinach with the briny olives and the bright, herbaceous, and creamy dressing. Fresh basil, parsley, and shaved Parmesan cheese are added on top to enhance flavor and texture when serving. This salad is versatile and can be served chilled or at room temperature, making it suitable for a variety of meals including barbecues, picnics, or casual gatherings.
No additional notes are provided, but the combination of fresh herbs and creamy dressing creates a distinctive flavor that highlights the individual vegetable textures and complements the pasta's density.
Ingredients
- 1 pound casarecce pasta or your favorite short, ridged pasta, or gemelli or fusilli pasta
- kosher salt , for pasta water
- 1 cup peas frozen
- 2 cups spinach chopped, packed, fresh
- 1 cup green olives halved, Castelvetrano variety, pitted
- 1 cup cucumber , seeded and chopped (use a soft skin cucumber such as English or Persian, or peel the skin of a regular hot house cucumber. Cut cucumber in half, lengthwise, then use a teaspoon to drag it down the middle, scraping out the seeds)
- 1 cup Green Goddess Dressing , recipe below
- basil , chopped, for serving
- parsley , chopped, for serving
- parmesan , shaved, for serving
Green Goddess Dressing
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- ½ cup parsley fresh
- ⅓ cup basil fresh
- 3 tablespoons chive chopped, fresh
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 garlic optional, clove
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
Instructions
- Boil the pasta in a large pot of salted water, until al denté and still a bit firm. During the last minute of cooking the pasta, add the frozen peas. Once pasta is finished cooking, rinse under cool water and drain well.
- While pasta is cooking, make the dressing. Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender and purée until smooth.
- Transfer cooled pasta and peas to a large serving bowl. Add the spinach, olives, cucumber, and dressing, tossing well to combine. To serve, top with fresh basil, parsley, and shaved Parmesan.
Notes
- Serve the pasta salad chilled or at room temperature according to preference.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 8Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 161 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 161kcal | 8% |
| Carbohydrates | 5g | 2% |
| Protein | 2g | 4% |
| Fat | 15g | 23% |
| Saturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 7g | 41% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 5g | 25% |
| Trans Fat | 0.03g | 2% |
| Cholesterol | 12mg | 4% |
| Sodium | 437mg | 18% |
| Potassium | 166mg | 4% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 2g | 4% |
| Vitamin A | 1407IU | 28% |
| Vitamin C | 18mg | 20% |
| Calcium | 43mg | 4% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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