Fresh Green Pasta Salad
Submitted by deborah
Fresh green pasta salad tosses spinach spaghetti with asparagus, zucchini, snow peas, mushrooms and cherry tomatoes in a curry-spiked mayo dressing. A vegetable garden in a bowl.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
15 minREADY
30 minThis pasta salad celebrates spring and summer green vegetables on a bed of jade-colored spinach spaghetti. The curry powder in the mayonnaise dressing is the surprise that elevates this from generic mayo pasta salad to something more memorable, adding warm aromatic depth without going hot or overpowering.
Spinach pasta isn’t just decorative. It tints the entire bowl green and adds a faint vegetal background flavor that ties all the actual green vegetables together. Regular spaghetti works as a substitute but the visual impact is lost.
Breaking the spaghetti into thirds is intentional. Short pieces are easier to eat with a fork, and they mix more evenly with the diced vegetables. Long strands tangle around the vegetables and make portioning difficult.
Steam the asparagus for exactly 5 minutes. Less and it stays crunchy and raw-tasting. More and it goes army-green and limp. Five minutes gives you bright green, crisp-tender pieces that hold their shape in the salad.
The raw zucchini, snow peas, mushrooms and cherry tomatoes go in uncooked. Their textures are what give the salad its character, all distinct and snappy. Cooking them would make the salad mushy.
The parsley-and-basil shower at the end is sprinkled on, not stirred in. This visual layer of fresh green herbs on top makes the salad look chef-prepared and ensures every serving gets fresh herb flavor.
Let refrigerated salad warm to nearly room temperature before serving. Cold dulls flavors and tightens the dressing. Room temperature lets everything taste its brightest.
Kitchen Tips
- Use fresh mayonnaise, not low-fat. Reduced-fat versions don’t have the body needed to coat the pasta and vegetables.
- Rice vinegar is the right choice for its mild sweetness. White wine vinegar works in a pinch but tastes sharper.
- Slice the mushrooms thinly so they pick up the dressing instead of staying bland inside.
- Make the dressing 30 minutes ahead to let the curry powder bloom in the mayo.
Variations
- Add cooked baby shrimp for a more substantial meal.
- Stir in ½ cup of crumbled feta for tangy contrast.
- Replace curry powder with 2 tablespoons of pesto for an Italian-leaning version.
Ingredients
Directions
Break the spaghetti strands into thirds. Cook the spaghetti in a large quantity of boiling water until tender (about 8 min). Drain and set aside.
Whisk together in a small bowl the mayonnaise, garlic, vinegar, and curry powder. Add this to the cooked spaghetti and gently mix.
Scrape the asparagus and cut each spear on the diagonal into 1” pieces. Steam these pieces into a small amount of boiling water 5 min. Drain and stir into the spaghetti.
Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise. Slice each half crosswise into ¼ inch pieces. Stir these into the spaghetti.
Cut the snow peas on the diagonal into ¾ inch slices. Stir these into the spaghetti. Stir in the mushrooms and tomatoes.
Combine the parsley and basil. Shower the salad with the combined herbs but do not toss. Salad can be served now or covered and refrigerated.
Note:
If chilled, let it return nearly to room temperature for best flavor.
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