Green Goddess Pasta Salad is a fresh green take on everybody’s favorite summer side salad. Zesty Green Goddess herb infused mayo makes a luscious dressing!
Aren’t you dying for a fresh take on pasta salad? I know I am, and this Green Goddess pasta salad delivers zesty new flavors to the tired old summer side dish franchise. It’s a celebration of all things green, with peas, string beans, asparagus and cucumber along with that unforgettable creamy/garlicky herb dressing.
I’m so inspired by the vivid flavors of Green Goddess Dressing I’ve reinvented it as a zippy Green Goddess Pesto, and also as a Green Goddess Coleslaw. I’ve even used it as a dip for veggies.
Green Goddess dressing first popped onto the scene back in the 1920s at San Francisco’s Palace Hotel, whipped up by the chef as a tribute to the popular actor George Arliss (who was acting in a play called, you guessed it, The Green Goddess.)
the green goddess flavors
Green Goddess dressing is legendary, characterized by its bright, fresh, tangy flavors. The primary taste comes from a vibrant mix of fresh herbs, including tarragon, parsley, and chives. The addition of garlic and anchovies or anchovy paste, a sometimes controversial ingredient that is one of the defining notes in Green Goddess (just like it is in a Caesar salad dressing.) Lemon juice provides the zesty acidic element that makes the dressing for this Green Goddess pasta salad even livelier.
When you’ve got a dressing as fabulous as this one, I make sure to use the right type of pasta. I love to use a chubby fusilli pasta that grabs all that creamy emerald dressing in those spiral folds.
Green Goddess pasta salad ingredients
the dressing
- fresh parsley
- fresh tarragon
- fresh dill
- fresh chives
- fresh basil
- olive oil
- garlic
- lemon juice
- anchovy paste
- pretend you didn’t see that if you don’t love anchovies 😉
- salt
- mayonnaise
The rest of the Green Goddess salad
I continue the green theme in my choice of veggies. Other alternatives might be zucchini, broccoli, edamame, green onions, avocado, or snap peas.
- fusilli pasta
- it really grabs on to that GG dressing!
- asparagus
- green beans
- peas
- cucumber
how to blanch veggies for salads
Blanching just takes the raw edge off veggies, it doesn’t cook them. This makes them more pleasant to eat in salads, and brightens their flavor and color, too. It’s optional but recommended. Blanching is especially easy with a pasta salad because you’ve already got the boiling water going for the pasta.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Drop the chopped asparagus and beans into the water.
- Wait one minute. Remember you’re not looking to cook the veggies, just take the raw edge off.
- Strain out the veggies into a bowl of ice water.
- Drain and dry on paper towels (you don’t want a soggy pasta salad.)
salads good enough to be dinner
Green Goddess Pasta Salad
Equipment
- food processor or immersion blender optional, but handy
Ingredients
Green Goddess dressing
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/3 cup fresh parsley, thick stems removed
- 1/4 cup fresh tarragon, thick stems removed
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, thick stems removed
- 1/4 cup fresh dill, thick stems removed
- a few fresh chives, snipped
- 1 tsp anchovy paste, or 1 anchovy
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- salt to taste
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
pasta salad
- 1 lb fusilli pasta
- 2 cups sliced asparagus
- 2 cups sliced green beans
- 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
- 2 small cucumbers, halved lengthwise and sliced
Instructions
make the dressing
- Load all the dressing ingredients into a food processor. A small processor will work for this recipe. Process until smooth and creamy. I scrape down the sides of the machine a couple of times to get all the herbs well incorporated. Taste to adjust any of the flavors. Note: a food processor works best for creamy dressings like this but if you don't have a one you can do this with an immersion blender in a jar. Or you can do it with a knife; just get everything as finely chopped and blended as possible.
pasta salad
- Cook the fusilli in plenty of well salted water until al dente. Strain out the pasta (but save the cooking water in the pot, we will use it in the next step.) Rinse the pasta in cold water and drain really well. Put the pasta in a large mixing bowl and toss with some of the dressing. This will keep the pasta from sticking together and allow the dressing flavors to start penetrating into the noodles.
- Set up an ice bath in a bowl with ice and cold water. Bring the pasta cooking water back to a boil and once boiling add the beans and asparagus. Set a timer for 2 minutes immediately, don't wait for the water to come back to a boil. After 2 minutes drain the veggies and plunge into your ice bath to stop the cooking. Dry on paper towels once the veggies are cold.
- Add the towel dried veggies, thawed peas, and cucumbers to the bowl with the pasta and toss with more dressing. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
Can you substitute the anchovy paste for pesto sauce?
Tried this recipe today and it is delicious! Made it with gluten free pasta. Thanks for the recipe, Sue!
Yay Pam, you get the first review award. I really love this too, it’s going on our regular summer salad rotation.