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

Print

Creamy Green Goddess Pasta Salad (Perfect for meal prep)

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.

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

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.

Photography by: Kaeleigh Pugliese

The post Creamy Green Goddess Pasta Salad (Perfect for meal prep) appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

This quick pasta salad is the perfect picnic pasta salad, but I also love making it as meal prep or lunches on the move!

Plus, it’s ready in just 20 minutes.

When it’s hot out, all I want is a delicious (and easy!) salad for lunch or dinner. And this pesto pasta salad is just that! It’s packed with all the good stuff like pasta, olives, and fresh basil. I also love bulking out this salad with butter beans or cannellini beans, or even some chopped up sausage!

Just like my Italian chopped summer pasta salad, these quick pasta salad jars are perfect for meal prep. Also, storing it in a mason jar? Nothing could be cuter (or more useful!)

Why you’ll love these mason jar pasta salads

• Mason jar salads are so useful for easy lunch meal prep during the week!
• You can easily substitute with gluten-free pasta if desired.
• Add extra protein in like white beans or cooked chicken breasts.

Ingredients needed for this pesto pasta salad

Pesto: Use your favorite pesto sauce from the grocery store! Or make your own pesto.

Red wine vinegar: I like to add a little zing to the pesto by using red wine vinegar; however, you can swap with lemon juice if that’s all you have

Pasta: I recommend using shells, farfalle, rotini or fusilli pasta

Vegetables: diced red pepper, artichoke hearts and olives add a ton of flavour to this mason jar pasta salad recipe.

Baby Bocconcini Cheese: Also known as baby mozzarella or cherry mozzarella! These are perfect, so you get cheese in every bite.

Nuts: I like to add some chopped nuts for crunch like pistachios, walnuts or almonds. However if you are nut-free you could add sunflower seeds instead.

Olives: I love using Kalamata olives, but feel free to swap it out for your favorite type of olive

How to make this meal prep pasta salad recipe

Step 1: Cook the pasta to al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water and then add to a medium sized bowl with half of the pesto and gently stir to combine.

Step 2: To a large bowl add the pesto, olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and chili flakes. Whisk together until combined. Add the cooked pasta to the bowl along with the diced sundried tomatoes, diced ed pepper, chopped olives, chopped artichoke hearts, chopped fresh basil, halved baby bocconcini cheese and chopped nuts. Toss to combine everything with the pesto.

Step 3: Divide into two mason jars and store in the fridge for up to one day before serving.

Step 4: Take out of the fridge for about 10-15 minutes before serving for the best taste and texture! Give the jar a good shake before enjoying as some of the pesto dressing can fall to the bottom of the jar.

More delicious pasta salad add-ins:

• For a bit more crunch add 1/3 cup diced red onion.
• In the summer months, swap the diced red pepper for juicy cherry tomatoes.
• I love adding some protein to this quick pasta salad to help bulk it out! This is totally optional, but you can add 1 cup of your protein of choice. I love adding butter beans, cannellini beans, chopped chicken, or cooked Italian sausage!

Tips and tricks

• While I love serving this pesto pasta salad in a mason jar, feel free to store it in an airtight container or meal prep containers instead. You can store it for up to 3 days in the fridge.

• Serving this as a side for a summer barbecue? Double up the ingredients and serve with my

• I recommend letting the pasta salad come to room temperature for about 10-15 minutes before enjoying. It’ll have a better taste and texture versus being too cold.

• Wide mouth mason jars are the easiest to fill with this mason jar pasta salad.

Common questions

What if I’m allergic to nuts?
If you are nut-free you can use sunflower seeds instead for that added crunch.

Can I make this salad gluten-free?
YES! Just make sure the pasta is gluten-free along with any other ingredients like the store-bought pesto.

How to store

Store in mason jars or meal prep containers in the fridge for up to 3 days.

More meal prep recipes to make from the blog

Dill Pickle Chicken Salad (easy meal prep recipe)

Easy Green Summer Chopped Salad (with meal prep tips)

The Best Italian Chopped Summer Pasta Salad Recipe

Print

Mason Jar Pesto Pasta Salad (perfect for meal prep)

This Mason Jar Pesto Pasta Salad is perfect for meal prep! Packed with pesto, pasta, vegetables and cheese, they're a delight for lunch.

Course Lunch

Cuisine italian-inspired

Keyword pasta salad, pesto

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 4 (2 cup) mason jars

Author Jess

Ingredients

• 200-220 grams / ½ lb Short cut pasta of choice (like shells, radiatori, rotini, fusili or farfalle
• ½ cup diced sundried tomatoes in oil drained of oil and diced
• 3/4 cup prepared pesto sauce
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• ¼ tsp chili flakes
• 1 red pepper diced
• ½ cup chopped pitted Kalamata olives or whole
• ½ cup chopped artichoke hearts
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1 cup halved baby bocconcini cheese
• ⅓ cup chopped nuts of choice pistachios, almonds or walnuts
• Optional: add 1 cup protein of choice to the salad like butter beans cannellini beans, chopped chicken or cooked Italian sausage.

Instructions

• Cook the pasta to al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water and then add to a medium sized bowl with half of the pesto and gently stir to combine.
• To a large bowl add the pesto, olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and chili flakes. Whisk together until combined. Add the cooked pasta to the bowl along with the diced sundried tomatoes, diced ed pepper, chopped olives, chopped artichoke hearts, chopped fresh basil, halved baby bocconcini cheese and chopped nuts. Toss to combine everything with the pesto.
• Divide into two mason jars and store in the fridge for up to one day before serving.
• Take out of the fridge for about 10-15 minutes before serving for the best taste and texture! Give the jar a good shake before enjoying as some of the pesto dressing can fall to the bottom of the jar.

Notes

• For a bit more crunch add 1/3 cup diced red onion.
• In the summer months, swap the diced red pepper for juicy cherry tomatoes.
• I love adding some protein to this quick pasta salad to help bulk it out! This is totally optional, but you can add 1 cup of your protein of choice. I love adding butter beans, cannellini beans, chopped chicken, or cooked Italian sausage!

The post Mason Jar Pesto Pasta Salad (perfect for meal prep) appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

Packed with all the good stuff like cheese, baby tomatoes, spicy Italian salami and fresh basil, it’s drizzled with a lemon oregano vinaigrette.

Plus, you can easily make this Italian chopped salad for meal prep!

Hot take: chopped salads are so much better than regular salads! And adding pasta? This is seriously the ultimate summer salad. Plus, it’s ready in just 25 minutes.

I love making a big batch of this summer pasta salad recipe for meal prep in the summer. That way, I’ve got meals prepped and ready to go. It’s perfect for when it’s too hot to turn on the oven or stove every evening!

If you’re looking for even more delicious salads, you need to try my easy green summer chopped salad or my blueberry basil green salad with goat cheese!

Why you’ll love this easy pasta salad recipe

• Everything is mixed together in just one bowl!
• It’s so much better than traditional pasta salads because it has a lighter dressing!
• A perfect salad to prep for lunch, a picnic or weekend summer cookouts
• Cold pasta salads like this one are great for meal prep since they taste even better the next day!
• Makes a great side dish to any of your favourite grilled proteins!

If this recipe has you dreaming of Rome, here’s a quick guide to some amazing local food to try when you visit.

Ingredients needed

• Pasta: Use a short pasta like radiatori, fusili, farfalle or even rotini pasta.

• Mozzarella: Feel free to swap out mozzarella for provolone.

• Fresh Basil: Don’t skip out fresh basil, it makes all the difference!

• Tomatoes: cherry tomatoes are at their best in the Summer

• Greens: I love to use crispy fresh arugula and fresh basil for a pop of green in this salad

• More flavour: red onion, pepperoncini peppers and olives add the perfect dose of spicy and tanginess to this summer pasta salad

• Lemon: I recommend using fresh lemon juice, not store-bought lemon juice in a bottle.

How to make this Italian chopped pasta salad recipe

Step 1: Cook your pasta according to the package directions for al dente pasta, in a large pot of salted water. Rinse with cold water, drain and set aside.

Step 2: Whisk the dressing ingredients in a jar and set aside.

Step 3: Place the cooked pasta in a large mixing bowl. Add the mozzarella cheese, parmesan tomatoes, red onion, pepperoncini peppers, olives, sliced salami, fresh basil, and arugula.

Step 4: Drizzle with the vinaigrette just before serving. Stir to make sure everything is well coated.

Step 5: Serve cold or at room temperature.

How to make this summer pasta salad for meal prep

This recipe is perfect for lunch or dinner meal prep! Make a batch of this pasta salad and divide it (without the arugula) into 4 meal prep containers. Add the arugula on top and then store in the fridge in the containers. Just before enjoying, mix in the arugula.  You could top it with your favourite protein for a more filling lunch!

Expert Tips

• In a rush? Use a store-bought bottled dressing / vinaigrette instead, like a tangy Italian dressing!

• This is the perfect pasta salad to serve at a barbecue with protein on the grill like grilled chicken and summer berry kombucha sangria!

• A good substitute for mozzarella is provolone.

• Want to make this vegetarian? Omit the salami and use a can of chickpeas or can of white beans like cannellini or butter beans instead.

• If you love olives, add in black olives or kalamata olives to up the olive content.

• Make sure to cook the pasta to al dente as it will continue to soften up once the dressing is added and is absorbed by the noodles.

How to store

Keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

More salads to love from the blog

Easy Summer Tortellini Pasta Salad

Kale & Peach Salad with Feta and Toasted Pepitas

Easy Green Summer Chopped Salad (with meal prep tips)

Print

The Best Italian Chopped Summer Pasta Salad Recipe

This Italian Chopped Summer Pasta Salad is perfect to make-ahead for picnics, potlucks, barbecues or meal-prep. Easily made in 30 minutes!

Course Salad

Cuisine american-inspired

Keyword pasta salad

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6 -8 as a side dish

Author Jess

Ingredients

For the lemon oregano vinaigrette

• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• juice from one large lemon (¼ cup lemon juice)
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves minced or pressed
• 2 tsp dried ground oregano
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• ¼ tsp ground pepper
• ¼ tsp chili flakes

For the pasta salad

• 225 g (1/2 lb) short cut pasta, like radiatori, rotini, fusili or farfalle
• 1 cup cubed mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup shaved parmesan cheese
• 1 pint cherry or baby tomatoes, halved
• ½ cup thinly sliced red onion
• ½ cup chopped pepperoncini peppers
• ⅓ cup chopped green or black olives
• 90 grams (3 oz) spicy Italian salami, chopped or thinly sliced
• ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
• 2 cups packed fresh arugula

Instructions

• Cook the pasta according to package directions, to al dente. Rinse with cold water and drain well.
• Make the dressing by whisking or shaking in a jar the olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, minced or pressed garlic, dried oregano, salt, pepper and chili flakes. Set aside.
• Place the cooked pasta in a large mixing bowl. Add the mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, baby tomatoes, sliced red onion, pepperoncini peppers, chopped olives, sliced salami and basil. If you're making this ahead of time, leave out the arugula and mix it in just before serving. If serving right away, add in the arugula.
• Drizzle with the lemon oregano vinaigrette and stir until ingredients are well coated.
• Serve cold or at room temperature. The salad will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Notes

• Make this ahead of time, up to one day and store in the fridge fully mixed with the dressing.
• This makes a great meal prep salad too!
• If you want to make this vegetarian, omit the salami and use a can of white beans like butter beans or cannellini beans instead.

The post The Best Italian Chopped Summer Pasta Salad Recipe appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

Packed with bright and fresh ingredients like peas, arugula and fresh herbs, every bite is delightful.

Make this for an easy summer dinner or pack it up for a picnic!

This recipe is not your typical pasta salad; it’s light and fresh with a lovely lemon and oregano vinaigrette. It’s like summer in a bowl!

What makes this recipe even better is it’s simplicity; it truly comes together in under 25 minutes. And that’s why it’s a part of my Simple Summer Series!

Everything You’ll Need to Make this Easy Summer Tortellini Pasta Salad

Cheese Tortellini: Fresh or frozen cheese tortellini works best in this salad.

Green Peas: Use fresh peas or simply defrost frozen peas.

Arugula: Fresh, crisp arugula adds a nice bite to this pasta salad.

Parmesan Cheese: Adds a bit of saltiness and creaminess to the dish.

Fresh Herbs: Parsley and basil are the best mix of herbs to complement all of the other flavours.

Garlic: A flavour booster in the salad dressing.

Olive Oil: The base of the pasta salad vinaigrette.

Lemon: Lemon juice is the other key ingredient in the dressing and brightens up the entire dish!

Dried Oregano: Brings the dressing flavours together.

Salt & Pepper: Always key ingredients in any recipe.

Print

Easy Summer Tortellini Pasta Salad

Easy summer tortellini pasta salad with fresh herbs, arugula, peas, parmesan and a divine lemon oregano dressing. A simple dinner or take on a picnic!

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Keyword pasta salad

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author Jess

Ingredients

• 350-450 g fresh or frozen cheese tortellini about 12-16oz tortellini
• 1 cup peas, fresh or thawed from frozen
• 1/2 cup chopped mixed fresh herbs (parsley and basil)
• 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 1 cup packed fresh arugula

Lemon Oregano Vinaigrette

• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• juice from one lemon
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tsp dried ground oregano
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• pinch ground pepper

Instructions

• Cook tortellini according to package directions. Rinse with cold water and drain well.
• Make the dressing by whisking or shaking in a jar the olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, dried oregano, salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Place the cooked tortellini in a large mixing bowl. Add peas, herbs, shredded parmesan cheese and arugula. If you're making this ahead of time, leave out the arugula and mix it in just before serving.
• Drizzle with the lemon oregano vinaigrette and stir until ingredients are well coated.
• Serve cold or at room temperature. The salad will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

In every bite of this salad you get the freshness from the peas and arugula; the creaminess of the tortellini and parmesan cheese; and the brightness of the herbs and lemon from the dressing.

Tips to make the best pasta salad

• Cook the tortellini according to the package directions; when it floats to the top it’s done. You don’t want to overcook the pasta.
• If you’re making this dish ahead of time, to take somewhere or for dinner on the same day, add in all the ingredients except the arugula. Toss the arugula in just before serving so it stays nice and crisp.

How to enjoy this easy pasta salad

• Picnic – So simple to pack for a picnic!
• Barbecue or Potluck – A delicious side dish for any barbecue or potluck.
• Easy Lunch or Weeknight Dinner – Make ahead of time and mix in the arugula just before serving.

Stay tuned for more simple summer recipes!

More summer salad recipes to love from the blog:

Blueberry Basil Summer Green Salad

Kale & Peach Salad with Feta and Toasted Pepitas

Quick Summer Green Salad Recipe

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

The post Easy Summer Tortellini Pasta Salad appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.