Simple Green Goddess Pasta Salad.
If you are looking for a healthier pasta salad option, how about this Green Goddess salad? It comes together quickly, is loaded with a lot of healthy green veggies, and has a dressing made of fresh herbs and Greek yogurt. I promise you do not want to miss this salad!
For more green goddess flavor, I recommend you try my Green Goddess Sandwich. It is another simple recipe loaded with healthy goods. If you are a salad person- which I certainly am, how about this yummy Fruit Salad With Microgreens or my Asian Slaw recipe? If you have never tried sprouted lentils, this recipe is a must. Looking for a simple, pasta-type salad? Check out my Couscous Salad with fresh veggies, it comes together in just 15 minutes!
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Why Does This Recipe Work
This Green goddess pasta salad recipe is easy enough to be a weeknight staple. You can even prep the veggies ahead of time so that when you are ready to assemble the salad fresh, everything is ready and you can simply add them in.
It's healthy and full of ingredients you and your family can feel good about eating.
The protein from the greek yogurt will make this meal filling along with the pasta. It's perfect for a side dish but has all the things it needs to be the main dish.
This pasta salad is a great way to utilize leftover veggies and reduce food waste. These ingredients are flexible and can be customized to fit your personal taste.
Next time you have leftover broccoli or spinach, instead of letting it sit in the fridge, you can whip up this delicious green goddess pasta salad.
What is Green Goddess Dressing?
Green goddess dressing is a creamy salad dressing that has recently exploded in popularity.
Typically, you may think of creamy dressings as unhealthy because of the high-fat content. This recipe, however, uses Greek yogurt in the green goddess dressing. Greek yogurt is a better swap because it's often lower fat than store-bought dressings, doesn't use oils and preservatives to achieve the right thickness, and still tastes amazing.
Green goddess dressing is often flavored with fresh herbs that play wonderfully with the natural tang of the yogurt. This dressing has a low prep time and goes with so many things, not just pasta salad. You'll find yourself saving this recipe for reference whenever you need a go-to dressing recipe.
Ingredients
- Pasta- any variety would work well with this. I used spiral in this pasta salad because they were so beautiful against the green veggies
- Spinach- This dark leafy green is rich in nutrients that support the body and immune systems such as Vitamin A and Vitamin C.
- Cucumber- This ingredient isn't just a crunchy element, it also contributes vitamin K to your green goddess pasta salad and since it has high water content, is an excellent way to help hydrate.
- Broccoli- An excellent source of fiber as well as vitamin C
- Asparagus-loaded with nutrients, such as vitamins A, C, K, and E, potassium, and fiber.
- Green peas- These have fiber and also protein which will help keep you full
- Artichokes- These have potassium and magnesium which are essential electrolytes that aid in balancing the body's fluid levels and controlling blood pressure. Green Goddess Dressing- this creamy dressing is made with mainly nonfat plain Greek yogurt, which is high in protein. This dressing is also made from olive oil and is filled with a variety of fresh healthy herbs such as basil leaves, thyme, and parsley.
How To Make Green Goddess Pasta Salad
Preparing The Vegetables
The most time-consuming part of this recipe is preparing the vegetables. I lightly roasted the asparagus for this, but you can also sauté them.
To roast asparagus: Remove the ends and then cut the remaining stalk into 1-inch sections. Then, drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle salt and pepper on it, to taste. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for about 5-10 minutes. When done, it will soften and become slightly golden.
I like to blanch my broccoli for this green goddess pasta salad. It isn't necessary, but blanching gives the broccoli a beautiful bright green color, removes some of the bitterness, and makes it just a bit softer.
To blanch the broccoli: Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Simply drop the florets into boiling water for 1-2 minutes and then put them immediately into ice water. This will stop the cooking process so that they don't become mushy.
Remove the broccoli florets from ice water, drain on a kitchen towel, and gently pat dry.
Cooking The Pasta
Start by dropping the pasta of choice into a large pot of lightly salted boiling water.
Mix the pasta to make sure it doesn't stick together as the pasta releases starches. If it isn't mixed, especially in the beginning, it tends to stick together.
Make sure to not overcook the pasta. You want the pasta to be al dente or firm to the taste. Al dente pasta will be cooked but still easily hold shape. This will ensure it doesn't break apart in your pasta salad.
Green Goddess Salad Dressing
The simplest way to make this dressing is to throw all of the ingredients into a food processor or blender. Pulse until it is smooth. You don't want chunks of herbs in this.
This dressing is very simple to put together, and I like to use it for a variety of different salads.
Store any leftover dressing in an airtight jar or container for up to 5 days for best freshness.
Assembling The Simple Green Goddess Pasta Salad
You have finished all the hard work, assembling the salad now will be easy.
To assemble your green goddess pasta salad, place all of your ingredients into a large bowl and toss gently. Then drizzle it generously with the green goddess dressing.
Now, gently fold the ingredients into each other and make sure the veggies are coated with the dressing. I use a rubber spatula so I don't break up the vegetables or the pasta. One of the best parts about this salad is its ease of assembly!
This green goddess pasta salad is a great recipe to save for days when you don't feel like cooking a lot or want a quick, delicious meal. This is a great summertime pasta salad recipe, picnic addition, or just a side for a family dinner.
Tips
- Don't overcook the pasta. For the best pasta salad, you'll want to make sure the noodles are al dente.
- Use fresh vegetables. In some recipes, slightly older vegetables will be okay, but with pasta salad, you want to make sure they're fresh for the best texture.
- Feel free to get creative. Adding your favorite fresh herbs, such as chopped chives, or even a splash of lemon juice in the dressing can brighten up the flavor.
This salad is a great recipe to save for days when you don't feel like cooking a lot or want a quick delicious meal. This is a great summertime salad or picnic addition, or just a side for a family dinner.
****This recipe featured on TWINKL- A picnic in the park***
Green Goddess Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- ½-3/4 cup dry pasta of choice
- 6 cups vegetables of choice I used asparagus, broccoli, cucumbers,green peas, spinach, and artichoke hearts. Cut into bite-sized pieces. Read below for prepping ideas.
Dressing
- 1 cup nonfat plain greek yogurt, or full fat
- 2 tablespoons mayo This isn't a must, but I think it makes the dressing so much creamier
- 1- 1 ¼ cup fresh herbs of choice I used a mix of basil, thyme, and parsley
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and bring 8 cups of water to a boil.
- Add your pasta and 1 teaspoon of salt to the boiling water. Mix occasionally until the pasta is cooked al dente- you don't want mushy pasta.
- While the pasta is cooking, cut asparagus into 2-3 inch pieces, making sure to cut off the tough ends. Drizzle with a touch of olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Place the asparagus on a baking sheet and into the oven for about 5 minutes.
- Drain your pasta and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
- I like to blanch my broccoli, but it isn't necessary. If you want to blanch, read along, if not, skip this part. Bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Fill another medium sized-bowl with about 4 cups with about ½ cup of ice. Add your broccoli florets to the boiling water for about 2 minutes. Drain and quickly place in the ice water for about 5 minutes. Drain well. and maybe even pat dry if you need to.
- Add your ingredients for the dressing in a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Just a note- if you like a lot of dressing on your salad, you may want to double this. I go fairly light.
- Place all your ingredients in a large bowl, and mix well. This salad is deliciously served right away but also holds well for up to 2 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
Notes
- Don't overcook the pasta. For the best pasta salad, you'll want to make sure the noodles are al dente.
- Use fresh vegetables. In some recipes, slightly older vegetables will be okay, but with pasta salad, you want to make sure they're fresh for the best texture.
- Feel free to get creative. Adding your favorite fresh herbs, such as chopped chives, or even a splash of lemon juice in the dressing can brighten up the flavor.