I’m so excited to share this viral crispy pasta salad with you! It has all the freshness of a big green salad, but with crispy seasoned pasta added right at the end, which makes it so fun to eat. The dressing is my dairy-free green goddess dressing made with silken tofu, fresh herbs, lemon, capers, and pickled jalapeños, so it’s creamy, bright, and packed with flavor. Each serving has 33 g of protein and 18 g of fiber, thanks to the chickpeas, greens, tofu, hemp seeds, and pasta. It’s colorful, crunchy, satisfying, and honestly such a delicious way to make salad feel exciting again.
Why I love this recipe (as a nutritionist)
- High-protein and satisfying: each bowl packs 33 g of protein from butter beans, silken tofu, hemp seeds, and pasta
- Fiber-rich for gut health: chickpeas, greens, cucumber, avocado, broccoli sprouts, herbs, and pasta bring 18 g of fiber per serving
- Iron-rich: with 9 mg of iron per serving, this salad is such a beautiful plant-based option for a nourishing lunch or dinner
- Loaded with fresh herbs: basil, chives, parsley, and dill add so much flavor, plus plenty of colorful plant diversity, and antioxidants
- Crunchy and creamy: crispy pasta, pistachios, avocado, and the green goddess dressing make every bite different
- Easy to customize: use gluten-free pasta if needed, swap the pistachios for sunflower seeds, or use whatever greens you have in the fridge
Ingredient notes
- Pasta: the pasta gets tossed with nutritional yeast, smoked paprika, garlic powder, olive oil, and sea salt before baking until crispy. Smaller pasta shapes work best here because they crisp up beautifully and are easy to scoop into the salad.
- Butter Beans: they make the salad more filling and add plant protein, fiber, iron, and a lovely soft texture against the crispy pasta.
- Green goddess dressing: this dairy-free version uses silken tofu for creaminess, plus basil, chives, parsley, dill, lemon, capers, jalapeños, maple syrup, and hemp seeds. It’s tangy, herby, creamy, and so good with the crunchy salad.
- Greens: baby spinach and arugula add color and freshness. You can use any lettuce or greens you like, so this is a great fridge-clear-out recipe.
- Avocado, cucumber, broccoli sprouts, and pistachios: these bring the fresh crunch, creaminess, healthy fats, and extra plant points that make the salad feel really abundant.
How to make this recipe (summary)
Start by cooking the pasta according to the package instructions, then rinse it under cold water and drain it really well. Excess water stops the pasta from crisping, so give it a little extra time here. Crisp the pasta by tossing it with olive oil, nutritional yeast, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and sea salt flakes. Spread it on a lined baking tray and bake at 400°F (200°C), fan on, until golden and crunchy, stirring halfway.
Blend the green goddess dressing with basil, chives, parsley, dill, silken tofu, lemon juice, pickled jalapeños, baby capers, maple syrup, hemp seeds, salt, and pepper. Pop it in the fridge to thicken while you assemble the salad.
Assemble the salad with chickpeas, baby spinach, arugula, cucumber, scallions, avocado, broccoli sprouts, and pistachios.
Serve by adding the hot crispy pasta, drizzling over the dressing, tossing, and eating straight away. View recipe card below for detailed instructions.
Variations and tips
- Make it gluten-free: use your favorite gluten-free pasta and check it while baking, as different shapes crisp at different speeds.
- Make it nut-free: swap the pistachios for sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds.
- Drain the pasta really well: rinse it to cool, then let it sit in the colander or pat it dry so it bakes up properly crispy.
- Serve right away: the crispy pasta softens once dressed, so this is best tossed just before eating.
- Meal prep it differently: skip the baking step, toss the cooked and cooled pasta with a little olive oil, and keep the dressing separate until serving.
- Change the greens: romaine, kale, butter lettuce, or mixed greens all work beautifully here.
- Change the beans: chickpeas work really well here, in fact it was my first choice when creating this salad, but we ran out on the day of the shoot, and butter beans turned out just as good!
- If you like this recipe, you’ll also love our Pistachio Pesto Pasta Salad.
Why you’ll love this viral crispy pasta salad TL;DR
- High-protein
- Fresh crunch
- Herby dressing
- Iron-rich
- Fiber-rich
FAQ
- Can I make this crispy pasta salad gluten-free? Yes, use gluten-free pasta. Keep an eye on it while baking because different gluten-free pastas can crisp faster.
- Can I meal prep this salad? Yes, but don’t bake the pasta if you’re meal prepping. Toss the cooked and cooled pasta with a little olive oil, store the dressing separately, and combine everything when ready to serve.
- How do I keep the pasta crispy? Drain it really well before baking, spread it in an even layer, and add it to the salad right before serving.
- Can I make this nut-free? Yes, replace the pistachios with sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds.
- What makes the green goddess dressing creamy without dairy? Silken tofu gives the dressing its creamy texture, while the herbs, lemon, capers, jalapeños, maple syrup, and hemp seeds add so much flavor.
Viral Crispy Pasta Salad (High-Protein)
This high-protein crispy pasta salad is fresh, crunchy, and packed with chickpeas, greens, avocado, and a creamy dairy-free green goddess dressing.
Equipment
Ingredients
Crispy Pasta
- 4.5 oz (125 g) dried pasta of choice
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
- 2 tbsp (15 g) nutritional yeast
- 2 tsp (4 g) smoked paprika
- 2 tsp (6 g) garlic powder
- ¼ tsp sea salt flakes
Green Goddess Dressing
- ½ cup (20 g) fresh basil
- 2 tbsp (6 g) fresh chives
- ¼ cup (15 g) fresh parsley
- ¼ cup (15 g) fresh dill
- 5.5 oz (155 g) silken tofu
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) lemon juice
- 1 tbsp (15 g) pickled jalapeños
- 2 tsp (10 g) baby capers
- 2 tsp (10 ml) maple syrup
- 1 tbsp (10 g) hemp seeds
- sea salt flakes - to taste
- freshly ground black pepper - to taste
Salad
- 1 ½ cups (250 g) cooked butterbeans
- 1 cup (30 g) baby spinach
- 1 cup (20 g) arugula
- 1 medium cucumber - finely diced
- 2 scallions - finely sliced
- ½ avocado - diced
- ½ cup (40 g) broccoli sprouts
- 2 tbsp (16 g) pistachios - roughly chopped
Instructions
- Cook the pasta: Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Drain, then rinse under cold water until it cools down. Drain really thoroughly, or pat dry, you don't want excess water.
- Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) convection / fan on. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Crisp the pasta: In a bowl, combine the cooked pasta, olive oil, nutritional yeast, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and sea salt flakes. Mix well to coat, then spread on the tray in an even layer. Bake on the top rack for 25 minutes, stirring halfway, or until crispy (this can vary slightly depending on the shape of pasta used).
- Make the dressing: In a small blender, add the basil, chives, parsley, dill, silken tofu, lemon juice, jalapeños, capers, maple syrup, hemp seeds, and a pinch of sea salt flakes and pepper. Blend until smooth, then keep in the fridge to thicken while you prepare the rest of the salad.
- Assemble the salad: In a large bowl, combine the greens (baby spinach and arugula, or other greens if using), butter beans, cucumber, scallion, avocado, broccoli sprouts, and pistachios.
- Serve: Add the crispy pasta while it is still hot, drizzle with the dressing, toss, and enjoy straight away.
Notes
Meal prep: The crispy pasta loses its texture if stored. If you’re meal prepping, skip the baking, toss cooked and cooled pasta with a drizzle of olive oil, then add to the salad with the rest of the ingredients and keep the dressing separate.
Greens: You can use any greens or lettuce you like in place of the baby spinach and arugula.
Nut-free option: Swap the pistachios for sunflower or pumpkin seeds
Nutrition Information
Per Serving/Portion
Calories: 680 kcalCarbohydrates: 100 gProtein: 33 gFat: 18 gSodium: 433 mgFiber: 18 gVitamin A: 367 IUVitamin C: 62 mgCalcium: 218 mgIron: 9 mg
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