Pasta Green Salad

Green on green on green: this cold pasta salad leans into a garden’s worth of green vegetables, with crisp-tender green beans, sweet peas, bell pepper strips, cucumber, and scallions tumbled through spiral rotini.

Shredded Swiss cheese runs through it for mellow, nutty richness, while the dressing keeps things light. It’s a mix of mayonnaise and plain yogurt, which cuts the heaviness with a little tang, sharpened with parmesan, lemon, and a generous hit of dill.

Here’s the make-ahead trick worth knowing: dress it at the last minute. Pasta drinks up dressing as it sits, so tossing everything together just before serving keeps the salad creamy instead of dry and gluey.

You can prep the components and the dressing separately, chill them, then bring them together right before the table. That makes this a smart pick for picnics and potlucks.

Kitchen Tips

• Cook the rotini to al dente and cool it completely before tossing, or it turns mushy in the salad.
• Keep the dressing separate and toss it in just before serving so the pasta stays creamy.
• Re-stir the dressing right before adding, as directed, since it separates as it chills.
• Taste and adjust salt after dressing; chilled salads need a little more seasoning to taste bright.

Variations

• Swap the Swiss for cubed cheddar, feta, or fresh mozzarella.
• Add cherry tomatoes, broccoli florets, or shredded carrot for color and crunch.
• Stir in chickpeas, diced ham, or grilled chicken to make it a full meal.