We all need a variety of salads for the BBQ and picnic season, that is upon us and my Green Goddess Pasta Salad recipe is sure to become a firm favourite.
I feel spoiled by the weather we’ve been having lately. Warm and sunny. You might be rolling your eyes thinking how silly this is but trust me…when you live in London it’s pure luxury.
The weather often dictates the types of food my family chooses to eat. Heavy dishes are out and light, full of flavour, vegetables and herbs dishes are in!
That’s how it should be, right?
I feel like my entire body is rising against anything we had been eating all winter and that includes apples, oranges, butternut squash, even broccoli!
I feel like I need to give room to ripe and juicy tomatoes, fresh peppers and loads and loads of herbs! In other words everything green, red and orange.
But we also need something substantial. Here is where pasta comes in. I heavily rely on pastas during the autumn/winter season and I feel like it’s a great option for the summer as well.
But of course, recipes require a bit of tweaking. We all know that pasta needs a lot of flavour infused into it to come alive, and this is where many pasta salads fail in my opinion.
Most pasta salad recipes use mayonnaise as the dressing, which doesn’t carry enough flavour on its own. So my solution is to cram that dressing full of herbs for maximum depth and fullness of taste.
What dressing can accomplish that? Why I am glad you asked. Green Goddess dressing of course!
My first introduction to the magical green goddess dressing happened years ago. It came in a bottle and looked and tasted much less vibrant than the one above but still it was delicious enough for me to notice and remember!
I wish I knew back then I didn’t have to pay $5-$6 per bottle to enjoy this green goddess dressing in my salads because it’s so easy to make at home.
All you need is a food processor or a blender.
Just 5 minutes of your precious time and you have two jars full of delicious homemade green goddess dressing that will last you for a couple of weeks.
Green goddess dressing that will taste fresh and punchy, made without preservatives and artificial colours because it doesn’t need any help. Just look at how vibrant it is!
This recipe for green goddess pasta salad is a very simple one. It’s barely a recipe. You can add anything you like to this pasta salad as long as all ingredients are coated in my magic green goddess dressing they will taste sublime.
Naturally I chose the ingredients that I love and they happen to work very well together. You can shuffle things around but no matter what you do, keep the arugula, or rocket for the Brits, in.
It adds a much needed spicy/peppery balance to otherwise quite creamy dish.
For more summer salad inspiration, check out my Basil Pesto Caprese Salad or my Potato Salad.
If you make any of my recipes, I would love to see them! Just tag @vikalinka in your Instagram post!
Ingredients
For the Green Goddess Dressing
- 1 cup/250g mayonnaise
- 4-5 green onions white and green parts
- 1 cup/30g fresh basil leaves
- 1 lemon juice only
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 anchovies
- 0.5-1 tsp salt adjust to taste
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2/3 cup/175g sour cream
For the Pasta Salad
- 1 lbs short pasta boiled al dente
- 1 cup/200g cherry tomatoes red and yellow
- 1 cup/100g marinated artichokes
- 1 yellow or red pepper chopped
- 1/4 cup/4 tbsp black olives pitted
- 1 cup/200g small mozzarella balls
- 2 cups/50g arugula/rocket
- 2 tbsp salad cress or any other micro herbs optional
Instructions
For the Green Goddess Dressing
- Combine all ingredients but sour cream and salt in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Stir in sour cream and salt to taste.
- Set aside until needed. You will need 1/2 cup of the recipe for the pasta salad. Store the rest in the refrigerator up to 1 week.
For the Pasta Salad
- Cook short pasta al dente according to package instructions. Drain and rinse, set aside to cool.
- In a large bowl combine halved cherry tomatoes, chopped peppers, halved or quartered marinated artichokes, olives and arugula.
- Add cooled pasta to the bowl, then add 1/2 cup of the green goddess dressing and salad cress if using. Mix gently.
- Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour before serving.
Hello! This looks fantastic and I want to make it for a girls getaway! 😊 I’m just not sure what salad cress is. Is it called something else in the US? Thanks for all the great recipes!
Ho Terri, salad cress is watercress if that makes sense. It’s optional. You can use alfalfa sprouts with the same effect.
Great recipe. I doubled the recipe because my family loves homemade dressings.
So great to hear you loved it!
the anchovies are a part of the original recipe for the green goddess dressing and they add this incredible saltiness that can’t be substituted with anything else. However, if you are really not sure about them, I would recommend using 1 tbsp of worcestershire sauce.
Great tip, Mandi
Amazing! I hate cooking and this recipe was simple and delicious.
So glad you enjoyed it, Ashley!!
This salad looks delicious! Planning to make it next week. I was a little surprised to read about the anchovies in the dressing though – could they also be substituted? Thank you!
Hi Irene, the anchovies are a part of the original recipe for the green goddess dressing and they add this incredible saltiness that can’t be substituted with anything else. However, if you are really not sure about them, I would recommend using 1 tbsp of worcestershire sauce.
Very tasty salad, my Summer salad of the year
I am so happy to hear that, Johanna! Green goddess dressing adds so much flavour!
Looks amazing so I think i’ll make it this weekend. What is the serving size? I watch my calories intake 🙁
The entire recipe makes 8 servings, so the 8th of your salad is your serving size! Enjoy! 🙂