Green Goddess Pasta Salad (Printable)

Tender pasta with crisp vegetables in a creamy avocado-herb dressing.

# What You’ll 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 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
11 - 2 tbsp lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)
12 - 1 garlic clove, minced
13 - 1-2 tbsp water (to thin, as needed)
14 - 1/2 tsp salt
15 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

# How to Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain well and rinse under cold running water to stop cooking and cool pasta completely.
02 - Combine avocado, Greek yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper in a blender or food processor. Blend until completely smooth, adding water 1 tablespoon at a time until dressing reaches pourable consistency.
03 - Place cooled pasta, cucumber, spinach, parsley, chives, and basil in a large mixing bowl.
04 - Pour green goddess dressing over pasta mixture. Gently toss until all ingredients are evenly coated.
05 - Taste salad and adjust seasoning with additional salt or lemon juice as desired. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 2 hours before serving. Garnish with additional fresh herbs if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • That avocado dressing is like eating a cloud that decided to be delicious
  • Everything stays crisp and bright even after sitting in the fridge
  • People will assume you spent way more time on it than you actually did
02 -
  • Rinse your pasta thoroughly or the heat will cook your spinach and herbs into sadness
  • The dressing will thicken in the fridge, so thin it with a splash of water before serving leftovers
  • Avocado oxidation can make your dressing look grayish, but the lemon juice helps prevent this significantly
03 -
  • Room temperature ingredients blend more smoothly, so let your yogurt and avocado sit out for 10 minutes
  • If your dressing tastes flat, it almost always needs more acid, not more salt
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