Extra-Green Pasta Salad
Updated May 23, 2025
- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Prep Time
- 10 minutes
- Cook Time
- 20 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- Salt and pepper
- 1pound short-cut pasta (such as rigatoni, campanelle or fusilli)
- 3cups/8 ounces sugar snap peas
- 1cup frozen English peas
- 3packed cups/3½ ounces baby spinach
- 2packed cups/1½ ounces basil leaves, plus more for serving
- ½cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2tablespoons white miso
- 1garlic clove, crushed
- Zest and juice from 1 lemon
- 4ounces Parmesan (or other firm salty cheese, such as feta or aged Gouda), thinly sliced
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
572 calories; 25 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 15 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 68 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 21 grams protein; 509 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then throw in a handful of salt. Add the pasta, give it a stir and cook until al dente. Just before draining, add the snap peas and English peas to the boiling water to barely soften, 20 to 30 seconds. Drain the pasta and peas, and rinse lightly with cold water; set aside.
- Step 2
While the pasta water comes to a boil, place the spinach, basil, oil, miso, garlic, and lemon zest and juice in a blender. Blend to a bright green purée. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and a few grinds of pepper, then blend again.
- Step 3
Transfer the purée to a large bowl that is big enough to toss all the pasta. Add the pasta and peas, and toss until coated. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the Parmesan and more basil leaves. Toss once more before serving.
Private Notes
Comments
Loved the amount of produce packed into this recipe - perfect for spring & summer, and so delicious! To bump up the protein content to make it a more filling/even healthier meal, we did the following: -Used chickpea pasta instead of regular pasta (*bonus - then it's gluten free too*) -Blended a package of silken tofu and a tbsp or so of nutritional yeast into the sauce -Roasted some salmon with herbs and put it on top We also added a bit of reserved pasta water to the sauce.
Interesting side note. I make a similar brocolli sauce for hot pasta and the volume of greens vs. pasta offsets the pasta effect on my blood sugar. Not a doctor and it's a sample of 1, but consistent results over time suggests that pasta dressed with abundant greens is a diabetic winner.
I just made this. Excellent! As is. I used rigatoni. I really enjoyed using fresh sugar snap peas from our garden. I used arugula instead of spinach. Packed--more like 4 cups than 3, and a mix of basil and mint, packed--more like 3 cups than 2. I also used about 5 cloves of garlic. The miso adds a perfect flavor. I didn't add more salt. I haven't added the parmesan and basil garnish yet. I saved pasta water just in case it needs more liquid after chilling. This is great! And so pretty!
Can anyone suggest a soy-free miso substitute for this recipe? My son has an allergy to certain soy proteins, and miso typically doesn’t work for is. The
I used a little more spinach than recommended and added a handful of arugula as well. Served with crispy cast iron chicken thighs with shallot and herbs.
My basil plants are going crazy, so I decided to try this out. I used a protein pasta to make it a more complete dish. It tastes great, but I think it needs a little more acid for me to consider it a pasta salad. I used a large, very juicy lemon, but found that I liked it better with fresh lemon squeezed over the dish just before serving. I highly recommend calling 10 people over to eat this …it makes a huge batch!
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