this Green Goddess Pasta Salad This is probably the smartest recipe I’ve ever come up with. And it only requires 6 ingredients. What’s the secret? The bagged Green Goddess Salad Kit does all the hard work for you. No blender, no chopping herbs, no need to whip up the dressing from scratch. Just toss rigatoni, chickpeas, and crumbled boursin together and you have the easiest pasta salad of the summer in about 20 minutes.
I’ve developed countless pasta salad recipes, but this six-ingredient version is probably the cleverest. Taylor Farms Green Goddess Protein Mix comes with veggies, crunchy toppings, and dressing, replacing typically 8 to 10 individual ingredients. It’s creamy, herbal, rich in plant-based protein, and suspiciously easy to make.
This Green Goddess Pasta Salad uses a genius shortcut: a bagged Green Goddess Salad Kit so you don’t have to make the dressing from scratch. Toss the al dente rigatoni with chickpeas, salad kit (including greens, toppings, and dressing), crumbled boursin, and olive oil. Creamy, herbal and rich in plant-based protein. 6 ingredients, 22 minutes, 1 bowl.
Why You’ll Love This Green Goddess Pasta Salad
- There are only 6 ingredients.: Rigatoni, chickpeas, bagged salad kit, boursin, olive oil, salt. That’s it. No need to shop for herbs, no need to mix dressing, and no need for a food processor. Every other Green Goddess Pasta Salad recipe online uses 10 to 15 ingredients. This recipe is very simple.
- It is full of vegetable protein.: Add chickpeas and Taylor Farms Green Goddess Protein Mix and you have a legit high-protein pasta salad without any special protein pasta or additives.
- God’s calling is a secret weapon: It creates pockets of tender garlic herb throughout the pasta and adds a second layer of creamy richness on top of the salad kit dressing. No other Green Goddess Pasta Salad uses it, and I think this is what takes this from good to truly craveable.
- Endlessly customizable.: Switch up the salad kit flavors to get a completely different pasta salad every time. For more information about this, see the Variants section below.
What’s in this pasta salad?
Here’s a quick rundown of everything you need and why each ingredient is important. Scroll down to the recipe card to see the full recipe with measurements.
- rigatoni: The ridges and tubes beautifully capture dressings and small salad kit pieces. Short, sturdy pasta shapes such as penne, rotini, fusilli, and farfalle are fine, but avoid long noodles or delicate shapes that are difficult to throw.
- garbanzo beans: Drained and rinsed canned chickpeas add protein, fiber, and a satisfying hearty flavor. This is a big part of what makes this pasta salad feel like a real meal.
- Salad kit in a bag: These are the ingredients of a hero. I use Taylor Farms Green Goddess Protein Mix, which includes veggies, crunchy toppings, and a dressing packet. So the dressing packet literally becomes pasta salad dressing. No additional action is required. If you can’t find Taylor Farms, Green Goddess Salad Mix will work.
- Boursin Cheese: It collapsed on top. Garlic and fine herb varieties are my go-to products. It will soften slightly and create creamy, tangy pockets throughout the pasta.
- olive oil: The tablespoon will hold everything together and prevent the pasta from sticking together.
- salt: gustation. Don’t forget to generously salt the pasta water. This is your first opportunity to season your dish.
If you want to go for a new approach from scratch, my Green Goddess Dressing would be a great base. But the point of this recipe is to skip that step.
Tips for the Best Green Goddess Pasta Salad
- Rinse and dry the pasta: When you’re done cooking, rinse the rigatoni in cold water to stop the cooking process and let it cool (this is a cold pasta salad after all). Then drain well or pat dry. Excess water will dilute the dressing. Here’s the science. Rinsing removes surface starch and prevents the pasta from clumping into sticky clumps when it cools.
- Don’t get dressed too early: Toss everything together just before serving. I learned the hard way that salad kit vegetables will wilt and crouton-style toppings will lose their crunchy texture if left in the dressing for more than 15 minutes.
- Use the entire salad kit: All the fixings – veggies, topping packets and dressing packets. The toppings add a crunchy contrast that makes this easy pasta salad feel like much more than the sum of its parts.
- Destroy your calling. Don’t melt it.: Break it into small chunks with your hands or fork. You want chunks of cream cheese distributed throughout, not a uniform sauce.
Salad Kit Variations
One of the best things about this recipe is that changing the flavors of your salad kit completely changes the dish. Here are my favorite swaps:
- Green Goddess Protein Mix (Taylor Farms): This is the original version of this recipe. Herb, garlic, creamy dressing. The best starting point for the classic Green Goddess Pasta Salad.
- scissor kit: Transforms into Caesar Pasta Salad. The parmesan cheese and crouton topping goes perfectly with rigatoni and chickpeas.
- Southwest or Chipotle: It adds a smoky and spicy flavor. To get into the Southwestern vibe, consider swapping the chickpeas for black beans.
- Asian Sesame or Cashew Crunch: Completely different taste profile – nutty, slightly sweet. If you wish, you can replace the rigatoni with thinner noodles.
- Classic Garden or Italian: This is the most neutral option and closest to a traditional pasta salad.
Do you like the taste of Green Goddess? My Green Goddess Quinoa Salad is another quick, protein-packed option that uses fresh herbs instead of kit.
Storage and pre-production
- refrigerator storage: You can store it in an airtight container for up to 2 days. To be honest, it’s definitely the freshest, as the veggies wilt and the crunchy topping softens. But it still makes for solid leftovers.
- Hack in advance: Boil the pasta, let it cool, and prepare the chickpeas in advance. Put it in a container and store it together in the refrigerator. Seal the salad kit and store the boursin separately. Toss everything together just before serving for maximum crispness and freshness.
- Not suitable for freezing: Vegetables, dressing, and cheese do not freeze well. Skip the freezer for this one.
Let’s be honest: this pasta salad tastes best the day you make it. It’s so quick to throw together that it’s better to make a fresh batch than to let leftovers stretch out for a few days.
problem solving
- Pasta salad is too dry: The dressing packets in the salad kit are sized for greens, not pasta. Solve the problem by drizzling an extra tablespoon of olive oil as you toss, or squeeze on a little fresh lemon juice for brightness.
- Pasta sticks together or is sticky: This happens when you don’t rinse thoroughly after cooking. Cold pasta reabsorbs the starch on the surface, causing the noodles to stick together. Rinse thoroughly in cold water and toss with a little olive oil.
- green has withered: You got dressed too early. This is a recipe to assemble and serve. If you’re making it for a gathering, keep the components separate until you’re ready to throw them.
More Pasta Salad Recipes
If you love easy pasta salads as much as I do, here are a few more favorites.
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course. That’s one of the best things about this recipe. Any bagged salad kit will work. The Caesar kit turns it into a Caesar pasta salad, the Southwest kit adds smoky heat, and the Asian sesame kit goes in a completely different direction. The flavor profile completely changes depending on the type of salad kit you use, so pick and choose what you like.
Chickpeas and Taylor Farms Green Goddess Protein Mix make this an already high-protein pasta salad, but you can kick it up even further by adding grilled chicken, shrimp, or cubed tofu. I would add about 6 to 8 ounces. Cooked protein makes 4 servings.
You can cook the pasta and prepare the chickpeas up to a day in advance. Just store it in the refrigerator. But I would wait until just before serving to throw it all in with the salad kit and boursin. Vegetables will wilt and crunchy toppings will turn soggy if left in the dressing for too long. This recipe is really easy to make.
I use rigatoni because the tubes and ridges hold the dressing and small salad pieces, but any short, sturdy shape will work: penne, rotini, fusilli or farfalle. Avoid long noodles like spaghetti or delicate shapes like orzo that are difficult to throw.
cold! Rinse the boiled pasta in cold water, cool and discard. Everything needs to be chilled so the veggies stay crunchy and the salad feels refreshing. Perfect for summer cookouts, potlucks, or a simple cold lunch.
Boursin crumbles into soft, creamy, garlic-herb pockets all over the pasta, like adding a second layer of flavor to top your salad kit dressing. No other Green Goddess Pasta Salad recipe calls for this, and I think this is what takes it from good to truly craveable. If you can’t find boursin, goat cheese is the closest swap.
Cook rigatoni according to package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse pasta thoroughly in cold water until completely cool. Drain well or pat dry with a clean towel. Too much water will dilute the dressing.
Add cooled pasta, drained chickpeas, whole salad mix (greens, topping packet, and dressing packet), Boursin crumbles, and olive oil to a large mixing bowl.
Toss everything together until well mixed. Season with salt to taste and eat immediately.
- You can use any packaged salad kit for this recipe. The type of salad mix will largely determine the flavor profile of your pasta salad. For a completely different feel, try the Caesar kit, Southwest kit, or Asian Sesame kit.
- This pasta salad is best served fresh. If you are preparing ahead, boil the pasta, let it cool, and prepare the chickpeas in advance. But for maximum crunch and freshness, toss everything with the salad kit and boursin until just before serving.
- Any short, sturdy pasta shape will do. Penne, rotini, fusilli, and farfalle are all great substitutes for rigatoni.
calorie: 434 calorie, carbohydrate: 64 g, protein: 17 g, province: 13 g, fiber: 9 g, sugar: 7 g
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should only be used as estimates.
Photographer: wooden frying pan
