Sick of soggy, squishy, mayo-drenched pasta salad? Kick things up a notch by pivoting toward fresh flavors.
Veg Everything is a collection of 101 vegetarian recipes from NYT Cooking, curated by Tanya Sichynsky, author of the popular NYT Cooking newsletter "The Veggie." Our favorite recipe from the book is a spectacularly vibrant pasta salad drenched in a tangy spinach and basil sauce.
Andy Baraghan, who developed the recipe, even offers a simple substitution for those looking for a different flavor profile: "You can swap the spinach for arugula to get a more peppery finish. (Some of us need a little bite in our lives!)" But Baraghan clarifies that you should never skimp on the miso: "The miso does a lot of the heavy lifting in the sauce, imparting a salty, almost Parmesan-like quality."
Baraghan says the salad tastes great eaten immediately or chilled. "If making it a day ahead," he writes, "don’t add the basil garnish and cheese until you’re ready to serve."
Extra-Green Pasta Salad
Author: Andy Baraghani
Prep Time: 14 min
Cook Time: 30 min
Calories: 815 calories per serving
Servings: 4-6 servings
Ingredients
- Salt
- 1 pound short pasta, such as rigatoni, campanelle, or fusilli
- 1 cup sugar snap peas
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 3½ ounces baby spinach (about 3 packed cups)
- 1½ ounces basil leaves (about 2 packed cups), plus more for serving
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons white miso paste
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- Black pepper
- 4 ounces Parmesan or other firm salty cheese, such as feta or aged Gouda, thinly sliced
Directions
- 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 sugar snap peas and frozen 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Reprinted with permission from VEG EVERYTHING: RECIPES FOR WEEKNIGHTS, PARTIES & THE BITES IN BETWEEN by Tanya Sichynsky and The New York Times Cooking © 2026 by The New York Times Company. Photographs copyright © 2026 by The New York Times Company. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House.
