Summer greens pasta salad
- Lucy Lord
- Jun 19
- 2 min read
Bright, zesty and full of texture and nourishment, this delicious pasta salad wraps tender greens and golden roasted courgettes in a silky avocado dressing. It stores great in the fridge making it perfect to prep. for the week ahead and tastes just as good in the following days.
Total time to make : 30 minutes
Servings : 6
Ingredients
400g dried pasta (I used fusilli)
350g frozen peas
2 courgettes
30g Parmesan cheese
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp olive oil
Large handful of rocket
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper, to season
Dressing
1 ripe avocado
5 tbsp olive oil
5 tbsp pasta water*
Small handful of fresh parsley
Juice of 1 lemon
½ tsp salt
Serve with lemon wedges to squeeze over before serving, extra grated Parmesan cheese and garnish with fresh herbs such as parsley, basil or mint.
Method
Pre-heat a fan oven to 220°C.
Slice the courgettes into discs, about ¼ inch thick. Toss in a bowl with olive oil and garlic powder. Arrange in a single layer on 2x baking trays lined with baking paper and sprinkle each disc with a pinch of the Parmesan cheese. Roast in the oven for 8–10 minutes until tender. Optional: place under a hot grill for 2 extra minutes to get them golden and bubbling. Remove from the oven and leave them to one side to cool.
Bring a large saucepan of water with 1 tsp of salt to the boil. Add the dried pasta and cook for 1 minute less than package instructions. Add the peas for the final 2 minutes. Drain in a colander, reserving 5 tbsp of the starchy pasta water for the dressing. Rinse the pasta and peas under cold running water and leave them in the colander to drain whilst you make the dressing.
Blend all of the dressing ingredients in a small food processor or blender until smooth and creamy. Add a little more olive oil or pasta water if needed to loosen until the dressing is still thick, but pourable.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled pasta and peas with the roasted Parmesan courgettes. Add in the rocket and lemon zest. Pour over the dressing and toss gently with two large spoons to combine.
Season to taste and garnish with an extra squeeze of lemon juice, grated Parmesan, black pepper and of fresh herbs.
Nutritional Information
(per serve)
458 calories
14g protein, 51g carbs, 22g fat
Good to know:
To make this gluten free, use GF pasta.
To make this vegan, swap the Parmesan cheese for a vegan cheese alternative or add a pinch of nutritional yeast over the courgettes (after roasting them).
Starchy pasta water helps to create a thick, creamy dressing that clings to each pasta shape but don't worry if you forget to reserve some, just use regular water to loosen the dressing.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
