Greek Pasta Salad
Looking for a light and refreshing pasta salad that still has plenty of comfort food appeal? This Greek Pasta Salad is just what you need! Featuring a simple vinaigrette, fresh vegetables, and salty feta, this salad is the perfect light dish the whole family will love.
John has been making homemade Greek salad dressing to use on pasta salad for years. A while back, I finally tried the pasta salad and it quickly became one of my favorite dishes.
This Greek pasta salad recipe is great for meal prep or a make-ahead brunch or lunch meal. It can be served at room temperature or cold making it easily transported. Plus, there’s plenty for a family of 4 or 6 and it doubles easily if you need to feed a crowd.
And for the times that we want something a little more substantial, we’ll toss in some Greek yogurt marinated chicken breasts to add protein. Whip up this Mediterranean-inspired Greek pasta salad for your next potluck, party, or family get-together. It’s always a hit!
How To Make Greek Pasta Salad
- Make the dressing: Whisk the olive oil, parsley, garlic, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, pepper, and salt together in a large bowl until well incorporated.
- Add the olives and tomatoes: To the dressing, add the tomatoes, Kalamata olives, green olives, and onions. Toss until the olives and tomatoes are well coated with the dressing.
- Assemble the pasta salad: To the dressing and veggie mixture, add the cucumbers, pasta and feta cheese. Gently stir to combine, and serve with lemon wedges if desired.
Recipe Tips
- Make sure you chop the onions and cucumber all roughly the same size to ensure you get a little bit of everything in each bite.
- Cook the pasta to al dente for pasta salad. This helps the pasta absorb the flavors of the dressing and prevents it from getting mushy.
- If you are making Greek pasta salad ahead of time, wait to add the feta cheese until just before serving so it doesn’t get soft.
- For best results, let it sit in the fridge for at least 2 hours to help develop the flavors.
Variations
- You can use any pasta you enjoy including rotini, penne, orzo, or even spiralized zucchini for a low-carb pasta salad. Check out our Greek Orzo Salad for a different spin on this recipe!
- You can also use grilled chicken, shrimp, or other seafood in place of the Greek yogurt marinated chicken breasts.
- Add in your favorite vegetables to change up the recipe. Some good options include bell peppers, artichokes, and asparagus.
Storage
Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The longer it sits, the softer the vegetables will become. This is also why freezing is not recommended.
More Pasta Recipes to Try
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 lemon, juiced
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup Kalamata olives, halved
- 1 cup green olives, halved
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 English cucumber, medium in size, cut into fourths lengthwise then sliced
- 8 ounces penne pasta, cooked and drained
- 6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
Instructions
- Whisk the olive oil, parsley, garlic, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, pepper and salt together in a large bowl.⅓ cup olive oil2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley2 garlic cloves1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar1 lemon½ teaspoon ground black pepper½ teaspoon salt
- Add the tomatoes, Kalamata olives, green olives and onions. Toss to combine.1 pint cherry tomatoes1 cup Kalamata olives1 cup green olives½ red onion
- Add the cucumbers, pasta and feta cheese and gently stir to combine. Serve with lemon wedges if desired.1 English cucumber8 ounces penne pasta6 ounces feta cheese
- See post for storage options.