I’m not a fan of most pasta salads, which tend to be stirred into a thick, mayo sauce that feels way too heavy and lacking flavor. This Green Goddess Pasta Salad is an entirely different beast though. It does has a sauce, but it’s a bright, herb sauce that brings everything to life and the salad feels really light as a result.
You could use lots of different pastas for this and make the sauce your own as long as you stick to the basics. It’s great warm or cold and would go with any number of fall mains – think lazy BBQ sides like burgers.
Give this one a shot if you are in a pasta salad rut!
What is Green Goddess Sauce
The real star of this recipe is a green goddess sauce, which honestly is something I make a bit differently every time I make it. It’s a creamy sauce, usually with yogurt or mayo as a base, and then you just load in the herbs.
After blending everything, you are left with a bright green sauce that’s very good on all sorts of things, or even a dip with tortilla chips!
Ingredients in Green Goddess Sauce
Here are the ingredients in this version of a green goddess sauce, although I encourage you to experiment!
- Greek yogurt – adds some creaminess and tang.
- Mayo – I did half mayo and half yogurt for this version.
- Fresh herbs – I used basil and parsley and a lot of them. You could add dill, scallions, chives, or any mild herb.
- Lemon – Brights up the sauce.
- Garlic – a little goes a long way.
- Honey – A touch of sweetness helps balance out any bitterness from the herbs.
- Salt and pepper and oil – basics!
Blend all this up in a food processor or blender and you are in business. The sauce should be pourable. If it is too thick, add some water to thin it out.
Want some other green goddess ideas? Try my Green Goddess Burgers!
Best pasta for pasta salad
I like to use smaller extruded pasta for my pasta salads. Fusilli or Rotini work really well. I would stay away from longer pastas like spaghetti or fettucine. Those are tough to mix together with the sauce.
Add-ins for Green Goddess Pasta Salad
I kept my add-ins really simple for this version, but there are lots of options.
I went with peas, scallions, and feta cheese for my version and just blanched the peas with the pasta during the last minute of cooking.
Other ideas that might be nice would be grape tomatoes (if you don’t mind breaking up the green vibes), snap peas, diced cucumbers, or blanched green beans.
What to serve with this pasta salad
There are so many options to serve with this pasta salad. It would go well with anything grilled like my grilled fish or a sturdy steakhouse burger. If you want a simple protein, this baked pork chop dish would go well with the pasta salad also.
Leftovers
This pasta salad keeps really well for the week, probably up to five days. Then the sauce will start to get a bit sad. It’s great for lunches cold though so no need to even heat it up.
Get your Green Goddess on with this fun pasta salad!
Green Goddess Pasta Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
Green Goddess Sauce:
- ⅓ cup Greek yogurt
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup fresh basil
- ½ cup fresh parsley
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 medium lemon, juice only
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Pasta Salad:
- 12 ounces pasta, rotini or fusilli
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 2 ounces feta cheese
- 2 scallions, chopped
Instructions
- For the sauce, add all ingredients to a food processor and process well for 30 seconds until smooth, scraping down the sides. If sauce seems very thick, add a tablespoon or two of water to thin it out. Set aside.
- Cook pasta in salted boiling water until al dente, probably 7-8 minutes. In the last minute, add peas as well. Drain pasta and peas and then rinse with cold water to cool pasta down.
- Transfer pasta and peas to a bowl and pour over sauce. Mix well.
- Serve pasta salad at room temperature or cold with feta cheese and scallions.
