Creamy avocado-basil pasta tossed with cherry tomatoes, cucumber, spinach and snap peas — bright and picnic-ready.
# What You'll Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 10 oz short pasta (fusilli, farfalle, or penne), dry
02 - 1 tsp salt (for 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, chopped
14 - 2 tbsp lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
15 - 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
16 - 1 garlic clove
17 - 1/2 tsp salt
18 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
→ Garnishes (optional)
19 - 2 tbsp toasted pumpkin seeds
20 - Extra fresh basil leaves
# How to Make It:
01 - Bring a large pot of water to a vigorous boil, add 1 tsp salt, then add the pasta and cook until al dente according to package directions. Reserve a small cup of cooking water, drain the pasta and rinse briefly under cold water to halt cooking; set aside to cool.
02 - While the pasta cooks, halve the cherry tomatoes, dice the cucumber, roughly chop the baby spinach, thinly slice the snap peas and finely dice the red onion; place all prepared vegetables in 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. Purée until completely smooth, scraping down the sides as needed; adjust seasoning to taste.
04 - Add the cooled pasta to the bowl with the vegetables, pour the green goddess dressing over the top and toss gently until all components are evenly coated. If the dressing is overly thick, loosen with 1–2 tbsp of the reserved pasta cooking water.
05 - Cover and refrigerate for 1–2 hours if time allows to develop flavors; otherwise proceed to plating and serve immediately.
06 - Transfer the salad to a serving dish, scatter toasted pumpkin seeds and extra basil leaves over the surface and serve chilled or at cool room temperature.
