Green Goddess Pasta Salad (Printable)

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

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

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

→ Vegetables & 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 lemon juice (approximately 1/2 lemon)
12 - 1 garlic clove, minced
13 - 1 to 2 tablespoons water as needed for thinning
14 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
15 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

# How To Make It:

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

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It uses up all those fresh herbs sitting in your fridge before they go bad, and somehow makes them taste even better together.
  • The creamy avocado dressing feels indulgent but is surprisingly light, and it coats every piece of pasta without feeling heavy.
  • You can make it ahead and it actually tastes better after sitting for an hour, which is rare for anything with avocado.
  • It works as a side dish or a full meal, and everyone always asks for the recipe.
02 -
  • Rinse the pasta under cold water immediately after draining or it will clump together and absorb too much dressing, turning the salad dry and sticky.
  • Use a ripe avocado that yields to gentle pressure, because a hard one won't blend smoothly and a mushy one can taste bitter.
  • Don't skip the salt in the pasta water, it's your only chance to season the pasta itself and it makes a huge difference in the final flavor.
03 -
  • Blend the dressing a little thinner than you think you need, because the pasta will absorb some of it and you don't want the salad to dry out.
  • Chop the herbs just before tossing them in, they'll stay bright green and fragrant instead of turning dark and wilted.
  • Taste the dressing before mixing it with the pasta, it should be bold and slightly over-seasoned on its own because the pasta will mellow it out.
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