garden pasta salad

Use your favorite herbs—or whatever herbs you have growing in your garden—to make this fresh pasta salad without mayo.

Garden Pasta Salad Recipe

One of my favorite things about growing my own herbs is that I have easy access to delicious, inexpensive ingredients that brighten any dish. This pasta salad was inspired by fresh pesto and is jam-packed with flavor—I used fresh basil, two types of parsley, and chives, but you can use any and all of your favorite herbs—with tender, filling pasta and a refreshing crunch from cucumbers. The dressing is simple, bringing it all together with silky olive oil and a touch of acid. It's the perfect pasta salad for people who don't like mayo! (But then again, so is my perfect party pasta salad.)

Ingredients for Garden Pasta Salad

  • 2 cups cooked cavatelli pasta
  • 1 cup fresh basil
  • 1/2 cup curly parsley
  • 1/2 cup flat parsley
  • 2 tablespoons chives
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts
  • 3 Persian cucumbers
  • 3 scallions
  • 1/3 cup Feta

For the dressing

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • Juice of 2 lemons
  • 2 garlic cloves, grated with a microplane
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

How to Make Garden Pasta Salad

  1. Finely chop the herbs and pine nuts and add to a large bowl with the pasta.
  2. Chop the cucumbers so they're the same size (or smaller) as the pasta and add to the bowl.
  3. Finely chop the scallions and add to the pasta mix.
  4. Crumble the Feta and add to the bowl.
  5. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and nutritional yeast.
  6. Pour the dressing over the pasta and mix well to evenly coat everything in the dressing. Serve immediately, or refrigerate in a sealed container until you're ready to serve (it will keep well if you want to make it in advance).

What You’ll Need

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