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Get the Recipe: Green Goddess Pasta Salad

5 from 1 rating
Yield8 servings
Prep1 hour
Cook45 minutes
Total1 hour 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons quality butter
  • 1½ cups pearl couscous
  • 2 cups water
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt, divided in half
  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided in half
  • 1 cup diced radishes, cut into 1/2in (1.25cm) cubes (6-8 radishes)
  • 2¼ cups diced turnips, cut into 1/2in (1.25cm) cubes (2 medium turnips)
  • 3-4 strips cooked bacon , roughly chopped
  • ⅓ cup green goddess dressing
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • ¼ cup parmesan, grated
  • 1 cup baby arugula/rocket, roughly chopped

Equipment

  • Measuring spoons
  • measuring Cups
  • 1 large sauté pan/pot/dutch oven
  • 1 chef knife
  • 1 cutting board
  • 2 quarter sheet baking tray
  • 1 silicone baking mats (optional)
  • aluminum foil
  • 1 quarter sheet cooling rack
  • 1 food processor or blender (if making the green goddess dressing)
  • box grater (side with larger grater holes)
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Instructions

  • In a sauté pan heat the butter on med high until it starts to bubble, then add in the pearl couscous and stir around for 2-4 minutes lightly sautéing the pasta spheres. The butter will brown during this process as well. Once toasted, pour in the water and ¼tsp (.6g) of salt, turn the heat down to low, and cover. Cook the pasta to al dente (10-12 minutes).
  • Once cooked, pour into a large serving bowl to cool, drizzle 2tbsp (30ml) olive oil over the pasta, and toss to coat. Give the pasta salad a toss every 10 minutes or so moving forward to promote cooling and stop clumping.
  • Next, preheat your oven to 425°F (218°C).
  • While the oven is preheating, chop up your turnips and radishes into ½in (1.25cm) cubes and lightly oil and salt them with the remaining amount of these ingredients. Put the chopped vegetables on a 13x18in (33x45.5cm) baking tray and place them into the oven. (bonus points if you use a silpat to keep everything from sticking to the pan)
  • Bake for 25-30 minutes. You want them to be just fork tender.
  • Prepare a second 13x18in (33x45.5cm) baking tray for the bacon by covering it in aluminum foil and setting a cooling rack onto the covered pan. Then place strips down on the rack and put them into the oven at the same temperature.
  • The bacon should be crispy in about 15-25 minutes, depending on the thickness, but keep an eye on it. Bacon can go from crisp to charcoal really quick when you are not paying attention.
  • If you plan to make the green goddess dressing from scratch (recipe takes 15 minutes max), make it now while the veggies and bacon are in the oven. Once the veggies and bacon are out of the oven, let them cool on the counter for 10-15 minutes.
  • While they cool, halve the tomatoes, grate the parmesan, and give the arugula a rough chop. Once cool, chop up the bacon into small pieces and set that aside as well.
  • Start assembling the pasta salad by adding all of the ingredients into the bowl and giving them a gentle mix. Once combined, add the dressing and toss to coat.

Notes

  • Pearl couscous cooks like rice in that it should absorb all the water while it cooks. While there shouldn't be any water left to drain when you take the cover off the pan/pot/dutch oven, if there is any water don't panic. Drain off the excess cooking liquid and return the pasta to the pot. The pasta will absorb any leftover moisture as it cools. You might lose just a bit of flavor, but it's nothing to worry about.
  • Coating your pasta with olive oil after cooking will keep the pasta from sticking while it cools and you are preparing the rest of the ingredients. It also helps with texture of the pasta salad over all.
  • Feel free to use an oil that has a milder flavor and higher smoke point to both roast the vegetables and coat the pasta. It's really a matter of preference.
  • So, I mentioned saving the dressing for last in the recipe because the pasta will soak it up over time. If you are taking this to a gathering, I suggest putting the dressing into a separate container and adding it just before eating. If you plan to eat immediately, the order of assembly doesn't really matter.