Green Goddess Pasta Salad

Tips from the kitchen

• For food safety purposes, frozen sweet peas must be cooked before adding to pasta salad. Or substitute sugar snap peas, cut into 1/2-inch pieces.
• Prep ingredients ahead of time, and refrigerate so everything can be assembled quickly. Or make the salad a couple of hours ahead of time, and refrigerate until ready to serve. If necessary, stir in a few teaspoons of milk to moisten the salad before serving. You’ll also want to wait until just before serving to add your avocado.
• Great northern or cannellini beans make great substitutes for chick peas. Chick peas or beans can also be replaced with chopped cooked chicken.
• Feel free to increase the amount of fresh herbs, or substitute the amount called for with the herbs you prefer. Though not called for in this recipe, tarragon is considered a classic in green goddess dressing and is commonly available in the summertime and early fall.
• Anchovies are another classic ingredient in green goddess dressing. They can add depth of flavor, like in a Caesar dressing. If you like anchovies and would like to include them, remember their flavor is intense, so start with less and add more, as needed.