Extra-Green Pasta Salad
Updated May 22, 2025
Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne.
- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Prep Time
- 10 minutes
- Cook Time
- 20 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
Salt and pepper
1 pound short-cut pasta (such as rigatoni, campanelle or fusilli)
3 cups/8 ounces sugar snap peas
1 cup frozen English peas
3 packed cups/3 ½ ounces baby spinach
2 packed cups/1 ½ ounces basil leaves, plus more for serving
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons white miso
1 garlic clove, crushed
Zest and juice from 1 lemon
4 ounces Parmesan (or other firm salty cheese, such as feta or aged Gouda), thinly sliced
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 6 servings)
68 grams carbs; 13 milligrams cholesterol; 572 calories; 15 grams monosaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 25 grams fat; 6 grams fiber; 509 milligrams sodium; 21 grams protein; 6 grams sugar
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!
Cook's Illustrated has this adviceWhen pasta cools down it goes through a process called retrogradation. Starches that swelled with water during cooking lose that moisture and form rigid crystals. perfectly cooked al dente noodles to turn tough, chewy, and sometimes crunchy when served cold.By boiling the pasta about 2 to 3 minutes longer than the package instructions, the starches absorb extra water. When the pasta then chills and firms up, it hits that perfect, buttery, just-right texture
Not a miso fan for pasta anyone sub for it?
A little salty cause of the miso (and maybe over salting the pasta water?) but still very, very good. I used rice wine vinegar instead of lemon because I was out but was still very tasty. Will for sure be making again.