Creamy Green Goddess Pasta Salad (Perfect for meal prep)

This Creamy Green Goddess Pasta Salad is a vibrant dish bursting with fresh herbs and a luscious dressing.

Packed with fresh green veggies, white beans for protein and crunchy walnut, it’s ideal for a Spring or Summer barbecue or meal prep lunches.

Green Goddess Pasta Salad

This Green Goddess Pasta Salad is the side of the Spring & Summer season! Crunchy green veggies pair with pasta, walnuts and white beans and a creamy green goddess dressing. 

Why you’ll love this creamy pasta salad recipe

• Flavorful: Packed with fresh herbs, green veggies and luscious green goddess dressing, you’ll be going back for seconds!
• Versatile: Easy swap out ingredients for your favourite green veggies if desired.
• Make-ahead: You can make this pasta salad ahead of time and enjoy for lunch or dinner.

Ingredients needed

For the green goddess dressing:

• Plain Greek yogurt
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Fresh dill, basil and mint
• Garlic
• Lemon juice and zest
• Salt and pepper

For the pasta salad:

• Orecchiette pasta
• Feta cheese
• Mini cucumbers
• Walnuts
• Cannellini beans
• Peas (frozen peas defrosted)
• Fresh dill
• Green onions

Tips for making the dressing creamy and flavorful

• Greek yogurt: Use full fat Greek yogurt for the best, creamy dressing.
• Fresh herbs: Fresh herbs like basil, mint and dill are important for the flavor of this dressing. In a pinch, substitute with more of one of the three herbs or whatever you have on hand (cilantro or parsley will work).
• Lemon: Don’t forget the lemon juice and zest in the dressing; it makes the creamy dressing pop!
• Blender: Make sure to use a blender, hand blender or food processor to blend the dressing until well-combined.

Suggestions for fresh herbs to use

Fresh herbs are a must for a green goddess dressing:

• Fresh basil, mint and dill: My favourite herbs to use in this dressing are basil, mint and dill which create a beautiful, bright flavor profile.
• Other herbs: In a pinch, use fresh parsley and/or fresh cilantro if you don’t have enough of one of the other herbs.

Variations and add-ins for customization

• Pasta: If you can’t find orecchiette or prefer to use a different pasta shape, try rotini, farfalle or penne.
• Greens: If you want to up the greens in this pasta salad, add 1 cup of chopped spinach just before serving.
• Nuts: You can substitute the walnuts with sliced or chopped almonds.
• Make it nut-free: Substitute the walnuts with sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds (pepitas).
• Cucumbers: If you can’t find mini cucumbers, substitute with half of a medium english cucumber, quartered then chopped.
• Beans: A good substitute for canned cannellini beans is another white bean like navy beans or butter beans.

Serving suggestions and pairing ideas

• Grilled chicken: Serve with chili lime grilled chicken thighs for a delicious barbecue plate.
• Salmon: Serve as a side to grilled or baked salmon.
• Burgers: We love this as a side to our spicy turkey burgers.
• Ground chicken or turkey: Cook ground chicken or turkey with spices like garlic, salt and pepper. Let cool fully and then serve with or on top of the pasta salad.

Meal prep and storage tips

• Meal prep: Prepare the full recipe and then portion into meal prep containers. Optional: Add a cooked protein of choice. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days. 
• Dressing: Make the dressing a day ahead and store in an airtight container in the fridge. The next day, prep the rest of the recipe, mix with the dressing and enjoy!
• Fridge storage: Make this pasta salad ahead of time and store in the fridge in an airtight container for dinner or barbecue later in the day. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

FAQs

More salads to make from the blog

• The Best Italian Chopped Summer Pasta Salad Recipe
• Easy Green Summer Chopped Salad (with meal prep tips)
• Kale and Peach Salad with Feta & Toasted Pepitas

Creamy Green Goddess Pasta Salad (Perfect for meal prep)

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Course: dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: American

Keyword: pasta salad

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 as a main (6 as a side)

Author: Jess

This Creamy Green Goddess Pasta Salad is a vibrant dish with fresh herbs & a luscious dressing. Ideal for easy meal prep lunches for the week.

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Ingredients

For the creamy green goddess dressing

• ⅔ cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup chopped fresh dill
• 1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
• ¼ cup packed fresh mint leaves
• 2 x small garlic cloves
• ½ lemon, zested
• 2 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice, about ½ large lemon
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt
• ¼ tsp ground pepper

For the pasta salad

• 225 grams 8oz / ½ lb dry orecchiette pasta
• ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
• 2 mini cucumbers, halved lengthwise and chopped
• ¾ cup walnuts halves, toasted and roughly chopped
• 398 ml can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 ½ cups frozen peas, defrosted
• ¼ cup chopped fresh dill
• 4 green onions, chopped

Instructions

• Cook the pasta according to package directions, to al dente. Rinse with cold water and drain well.
• Make the dressing: With an immersion blender or in a high-speed blender, add all of the dressing ingredients and blend on high until well combined. Set aside.
• Assemble the salad: Once the pasta is mostly cooled, add it to a large bowl along with the crumbled feta cheese, diced cucumbers, walnuts, cannellini beans, frozen peas, fresh dill and chopped green onions. Drizzle the dressing over top of the salad and then toss well to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if desired.
• Serve immediately. The salad will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Notes

• Pasta: You can substitute with rotini, farfalle or penne if you can’t find orecchiette.
• Make it nut-free: Substitute the walnuts with sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds (pepitas).
• Cucumbers: If you can’t find mini cucumbers, substitute with half of a medium english cucumber, quartered then chopped.
• Beans: A good substitute for canned cannellini beans is another white bean like navy beans or butter beans.

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Photography by: Kaeleigh Pugliese