Green Goddess Pasta Salad with tangy clean herbal notes is an easy variation on old-school macaroni salad. It makes in minutes and goes well with grilled foods, sandwiches, and baked chicken and fish.
Sometimes I need a bright and fresh taste on the table and this pasta salad is what I make. It is the perfect twist when you want to shake up and freshen up macaroni salad.
I keep this salad simple with just 4 ingredients plus the dressing which is the star of this dish. Iconic Green Goddess Dressing has fresh parsley and chives with lemon and Worcestershire sauce to make a tangy herbal dressing bursting with flavor.
Once you've cooked the pasta this salad comes together in minutes, and it really couldn’t be easier! Pasta, green peas, sliced black olives and halved cherry tomatoes are tossed with green goddess salad dressing.
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So, let's cook!
Ingredients
Here's what you need:
- Cooked Pasta - Any shaped or tubular pasta will work like farfalle, rotini, penne, ditalini, orecchiette, or small shells.
- Green Goddess Salad Dressing - I like to make my own, but you can use your favorite brand.
- Green Peas - Thawed, frozen peas are the best for making salads. They are perfectly safe to eat without cooking and have a fresh sweet taste.
- Sliced Black Olives - These are canned and already sliced black olives.
- Halved Cherry Tomatoes - Very small cherry tomatoes distribute evenly through the salad and bring bright acidity and color to the salad mixture.
Please see the recipe card for the exact quantities.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain the pasta and rinse it with cold water. Put the cooled pasta into a large mixing bowl.
Add green goddess salad dressing and gently stir to thoroughly coat the pasta.
Gently fold in peas, sliced black olives, and halved cherry tomatoes.
Spoon the pasta salad into a serving bowl. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
What to Serve with Green Goddess Pasta Salad
- Hamburgers
- Sandwiches and Paninis
- Hot Wings
- BBQ Ribs
- Fried Chicken
- Grilled Hot Dogs
- BBQ Chicken
- Baked Salmon
My Top Tip
♡ Pasta typically absorbs mayonnaise-based dressings over time. If making this salad several hours before serving, check the salad for dryness at serving time and add additional salad dressing, cream, or milk as needed to moisten the salad.
Substitutions & Variations
- Add Marinated Artichokes - Chopped marinated artichokes are super delicious and a great addition to this salad. You can add up to 1 cup.
- Add Cheese - Some people like cheese in this salad. You can add up to 1 cup of shredded cheese. Good choices are white cheeses like Monterey Jack and Swiss.
- Substitute Sun-Dried Tomatoes - If small cherry tomatoes are not available you can substitute oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes that have been thoroughly drained, chopped, or sliced.
Recipe FAQs
You can make Green Goddess Pasta Salad in advance. Over time the salad will tighten because the pasta will absorb much of the moisture in the dressing. Remoisten the salad with a small amount of heavy cream, half and half, or milk.
Store it in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Because this is a mayonnaise-based salad promptly refrigerate any leftovers and do not leave it out in warm weather.
If you make my version of Green Goddess Salad Dressing with Miracle Whip, you can freeze this pasta salad.
However, if you use mayonnaise to make the dressing or purchase a bottled dressing you won't be able to freeze it as the dressing will separate when frozen.
More Delicious Salads
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📖 Recipe
Green Goddess Pasta Salad
Ingredients
Pasta Salad:
- ½ Pound Pasta, Farfalle, Rotini, Penne, Ditalini, Orecchiette, or Small Shells.
- ¾ Cup Green Goddess Salad Dressing
- 1 Cup Green Peas
- 1 Cup Sliced Black Olives
- 1 Cup Halved Cherry Tomatoes
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain the pasta and rinse it with cold water. Put the cooled pasta into a large mixing bowl.The yield should be approximately 4 cups of cooked pasta.½ Pound Pasta
- Add ¾ cup Green Goddess Salad Dressing and gently stir to thoroughly coat the pasta.¾ Cup Green Goddess Salad Dressing
- Gently fold in peas, sliced black olives, and halved cherry tomatoes.1 Cup Green Peas, 1 Cup Sliced Black Olives, 1 Cup Halved Cherry Tomatoes
- Spoon the pasta salad into a serving bowl. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
All nutritional information on this site is an estimate. Your results may vary.
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