If there’s one pasta salad you make this summer, let it be this one. This Green Goddess Pasta Salad is herbaceous, tangy, delightfully crunchy, and it’s the perfect side dish for any backyard cookout.
This dish works well for weekly meal prep, pairs fabulously with grilled meats, and is even better after a few hours in the fridge. Finely chopped veggies make it extra fun to eat with a spoon, ensuring that each bite has a little bit of everything.
This recipe prep uses both the Meyer Stockpot (to cook the tender orzo), the Chef's Pan (to cook the herbs and veggies), and of course, the Universal Lids, so grab your Essential Set, and let's get cookin'!
Ingredients
For the green goddess dressing:
- 1 cup parsley; leaves and tender stems only
- 1⁄2 cup basil
- 1⁄2 cup chives
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 cup whole milk Greek yogurt
- 1⁄4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1⁄4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tsp anchovy paste (optional)
For the salad:
- 1 lb small pasta such as orzo, ditalini, or farfalle
- 1 bunch asparagus; chopped into 1 inch pieces
- 8 oz sugar snap peas; chopped into 1 inch pieces
- 1 green bell pepper; diced into 1⁄2 inch pieces
- 1 fennel bulb; diced into 1⁄2 inch pieces
- 4 mini Persian cucumbers; diced into 1⁄2 inch pieces
- 1 jalapeño; finely chopped with seeds removed
- 1⁄2 cup green onion; finely chopped with white bulbs removed
- 1⁄2 cup parsley; finely chopped with leaves and tender stems only
- 3⁄4 cup crumbled feta
Instructions
- Fill the Meyer Stockpot with water and season generously with salt. Bring the water to a boil and cook pasta according to box instructions. As the pasta cooks, prepare herbs for the dressing.
- Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in the Meyer Nonstick Chef’s Pan and season generously with salt. Prepare an ice bath directly beside the pan. Drop the herbs into the boiling water and cook for no more than 15 seconds, immediately transferring them to the ice bath. Drain the herbs, squeezing out any remaining liquid, and set aside.
- Allow the water to come back to a boil and prepare another ice bath. When the water is boiling, drop the prepared asparagus and sugar snap peas into the pan and cook for 1 minute. Transfer them to the ice bath and allow them to cool, draining after no more than 5 minutes.
- In a food processor, combine the Greek yogurt, blanched herbs, mayonnaise, lemon juice, olive oil, and anchovy paste if using. Pulse until a smooth dressing comes together.
- In a large salad bowl, combine the dressing and the pasta. Assemble the salad with the asparagus, sugar snap peas, cucumbers, fennel, peppers, jalapeño, and herbs. Mix to combine and top with crumbled feta.
- Serve immediately, or keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
