Bright pasta salad with creamy avocado-basil dressing, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and spinach — ready in 30 minutes.
# What You'll Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 10.5 oz short dried pasta (fusilli, farfalle, or penne), about 3 cups
02 - 1 tsp fine salt (for the boiling water)
→ Vegetables
03 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
04 - 1 cup cucumber, diced
05 - 1 cup baby spinach, roughly chopped
06 - 1/2 cup snap peas, thinly sliced
07 - 1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
→ Green Goddess Dressing
08 - 1 ripe avocado, peeled and pitted
09 - 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
10 - 1/4 cup mayonnaise
11 - 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
12 - 1/4 cup fresh parsley, packed
13 - 2 tbsp fresh chives, roughly chopped
14 - 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
15 - 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
16 - 1 garlic clove, peeled
17 - 1/2 tsp fine salt
18 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
→ Garnishes (optional)
19 - 2 tbsp toasted pumpkin seeds
20 - Extra fresh basil leaves, to finish
# Steps:
01 - Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, add 1 tsp salt, then add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse briefly under cold water to stop cooking; set aside to cool.
02 - While the pasta cooks, halve the cherry tomatoes, dice the cucumber, roughly chop the spinach, thinly slice the snap peas, and finely dice the red onion; transfer to a large mixing bowl.
03 - Combine the avocado, Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, basil, parsley, chives, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper in a blender or food processor. Blend until completely smooth and homogeneous; taste and adjust seasoning.
04 - Add the cooled pasta to the bowl with the prepared vegetables and spinach. Pour the dressing over the mixture and toss gently but thoroughly until all components are evenly coated.
05 - Transfer to a serving vessel and either serve immediately or chill for 1–2 hours to allow flavors to develop and meld.
06 - Just before serving, sprinkle with toasted pumpkin seeds and additional basil leaves for texture and aroma.
