Home > Salads > Greek Pasta Salad Greek Pasta Salad May 28, 2020 | 38 Comments SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Jump to Recipe This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy. Greek Pasta Salad is loaded with tomatoes, cucumbers, Kalamata olives, red onion, green pepper, and plenty of feta cheese. A delicious and bright Greek-inspired vinaigrette coats this salad. Pair this delicious pasta salad with some marinated and grilled Greek Chicken or Greek Meatballs. And if you’re looking for a healthier alternative to pasta, be sure to try this Greek Quinoa Salad next. Greek Pasta Salad Greek Pasta Salad is fresh, light, flavorful, and filled with veggies. It’s the perfect dish for when the weather is hot and you need something that won’t heat up the kitchen. With the light vinaigrette and all the fresh garden veggies, this is a salad that will leave you feeling refreshed and energized. And while I’m all for those pasta salads that are loaded with mayo (hello, creamy Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad!), it’s nice to have a pasta salad that doesn’t leave you feeling a little blah after eating it. What’s in Greek salad dressing? To dress the Greek Pasta Salad, we combine the ingredients listed below in a glass jar and shake to combine — it’s easy and quick! In a pinch, you can use a bottled Greek vinaigrette from the store and add to taste over this salad. Olive oil Lemon juice, freshly squeezed Honey Dijon mustard (Don’t use regular yellow mustard.) Minced garlic Oregano dried (not fresh) Salt and pepper Red wine vinegar Quick tips Look for short pasta. Choose bite-sized pasta that has plenty of nooks and crannies to hold that delicious Greek dressing. However, if you can’t find miniature farfalle, I recommend rotini or fusilli. Salt the pasta water. Since Greek Pasta Salad is eaten cold, the flavors tend to get muted. Make sure the pasta is generously salted as it cooks since salting is the only chance you have to season the actual pasta. Don’t be afraid to add more salt to the finished salad if it needs it. Read about how to properly salt your pasta water here. Cook the pasta al dente. Since the pasta sits in dressing, it can get soggy if overcooked. Pasta also gets a little firmer when served cold, so don’t under-cook it! I cook it right to the package directions of what al dente is (for miniature farfalle, that is 7 minutes). How long will Greek Pasta Salad last? This salad will easily keep in the fridge for two to three days, which means it’s the perfect dish to make ahead of time. We prefer it the same day it’s made, as the onion/olive flavors get stronger the longer it sits. You can refrigerate the ingredients separately in meal prep containers (veggies, pasta, feta cheese, and dressing) and dress the bowls individually at mealtime. This way, this Greek pasta salad will last four to five days in the fridge. You can find more meal prepping tips in this recipe for Greek Couscous Salad. Variations Swap the pasta for tortellini like in this Greek Tortellini Pasta Salad. Add a creamy element, such as a ripe avocado. Since avocados don’t hold up well in the salad, if you add them, add them to individual plates right before serving. Add fresh sweet corn, either grilled or raw. While perhaps unique for a Greek salad, fresh corn is delicious in this salad. When in season, I grill a few cobs (check out this Elote recipe for how to grill corn) and then slice it off the cob and into this salad. Make a Greek chicken pasta salad. Add in some diced grilled chicken (Greek-seasoned or use this delicious Chicken Marinade). QUICK TIPTake away the bite of red onion: If you’re sensitive to the flavor of raw red onion, soak the diced onions in ice-cold, salted water for 10 minutes. Drain thoroughly before adding to the salad. Other healthy dishes: Greek Quinoa Salad One Pan Healthy Italian Sausage and Veggies Chicken Salad Wrap Italian Salad Tuna Salad Wraps FOLLOW ALONG! Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates, recipes and content. Greek Pasta Salad 5 from 16 votes - Review this recipe Greek Pasta Salad is loaded with tomatoes, cucumbers, Kalamata olives, red onion, green pepper, and plenty of feta cheese. A delicious and lush Greek-inspired vinaigrette coats this salad. SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Greek Pasta Salad 5 from 16 votes - Review this recipe SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Greek Pasta Salad is loaded with tomatoes, cucumbers, Kalamata olives, red onion, green pepper, and plenty of feta cheese. A delicious and lush Greek-inspired vinaigrette coats this salad. Course Dinner, Salad, Side Dish, Vegetarian Cuisine Greek Keyword Greek Pasta Salad Prep Time 30 minutes Total Time 30 minutes Servings 6 -8 servings Calories 442kcal Author Chelsea Lords Cost $5.86 IngredientsSalad▢ 12 ounces pasta (I use mini farfalle)▢ 1/2 cup Kalamata olives halved and pitted▢ 1/3 cup red onion diced▢ 2 cups English or Persian cucumbers cut into half moons▢ 2 cups (1 pint) cherry tomatoes, halved▢ 1 cup green bell pepper diced▢ 1/4 cup parsley▢ 1/2 cup feta cheese cubedDressing▢ 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons olive oil▢ 1.5 tablespoons lemon juice▢ 1.5 tablespoons honey▢ 1.5 tablespoons Dijon mustard▢ 3/4 teaspoon minced garlic▢ 1 and 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano▢ 3/4 teaspoon salt + 1/2 teaspoon black pepper▢ 3 tablespoons red wine vinegarUS - Metric USMetric InstructionsPASTA: Bring water to a rolling boil and generously salt the water (See Note 1) before adding in the pasta. One tablespoon fine sea salt to about 16 cups of water is a good guide. Once salted, wait for the water to come back to a boil, and then add in all the pasta. Cook pasta al dente according to package directions (if using Barilla Mini Farfalle, this is 7 minutes). Drain and rinse in cold water until cool.VEGGIES: Meanwhile, prep the veggies. Halve (and pit if needed) the olives, dice the red onion and green pepper (See Note 2), cut the cucumbers into half moons (See Note 3) and halve the cherry tomatoes. Mince the parsley and crumble or cut the feta into small cubes. Add all of these ingredients to a large bowl and then stir in the cooled pasta.DRESSING: Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a glass jar. Shake thoroughly to combine, making sure no honey or Dijon is stuck on the bottom. Use a spoon to stir, and then shake again if needed. Refrigerate until ready to use. To serve, shake dressing again, right before adding to the salad and then drizzle over salad. Toss, add in feta, and toss again. Chill for 30 minutes to an hour before serving. At serving time, gently toss salad again and taste to adjust any seasonings as needed. Recipe NotesNote 1: Pasta water: Even though the pasta will be tossed in the vinaigrette, if you haven't salted your pasta water, the salad will taste under-seasoned/bland. Seasoning the pasta water is how you flavor the pasta itself. Note 2: Red onion: If you're sensitive to the flavor of raw red onion, soak the diced onions in ice-cold water (with a pinch of salt) for 10 minutes. Drain thoroughly before adding to this salad. Note 3: Cucumbers: Make sure to cut off and discard about 1 inch from both ends of an English cucumber; this part of the cucumber is very bitter. Nutrition FactsServing: 8servings | Calories: 442kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 374mg | Potassium: 464mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 829IU | Vitamin C: 45mg | Calcium: 114mg | Iron: 2mg We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed. DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? I love hearing from you when you've made one of my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @ChelseasMessyApron or leave me a comment below.
Yum! This looks delicious and refreshing – perfect for those hot summer days when you really don’t want to turn on the oven. I love that the dressing is dairy-free, as I’m a big fan of lighter, oil/vinegar-based (rather than milk/cheese based) dressings on Greek salads. Looking forward to giving this a try! Reply
You know I love me some Greek food! And I REALLY love me a good pasta salad. Combining two of my fav things makes you a hero in my book. 🙂 Reply
I love me some greek salad and with pasta? I’ll take a bowl please and thank you! Have a fantastic weekend!! Reply
Yum! This looks so refreshing! We’re going to Pittsburgh in about 10 days! And I’m so sorry about your movie. I can so relate though! Reply
Hmmm, I love greek salads. And I love pasta. Putting them together is a match made in carb heaven 🙂 Reply
Looks yummy! I so get what your saying. We lived in Missouri for awhile. Their Italian restaurant chain was so good. Haven’t found anything like it. Especially their salad! Yours looks great. I will definitely be trying. Thanks for sharing. I linked a Time To Sparkly too. My post is my ‘winging it’ cupcakes! Thanks for sharing your salad. Have a wonderful Wednesday, Sherry Reply
Absolutely amazing! Love this salad. Perfect combination of flavors. Definitely a keeper! Thank you . Reply
This looks delicious! Can you use mozzarella instead of feta? Would that defeat the purpose of a greek salad? lol Reply
This was fantastic I used wheat pasta for healthy reasons, but it was just awesome! The only thing I did differently was used : lemons, because I love lemons!! Reply
Made this with chickpea pasta and no tomatoes (just not a fan) and it was so good! The flavors of all the mix-ins go so well together. My husband is not big on cold dishes and he even loved it! Reply
Brought this to a family picnic Daughter just texted me that her family loved it and wants the recipe. I added a ear of cooked fresh corn. I used a 16 oz. rigitoni. Increased the olive oil to 1/2 c and red wine vinegar to 1/4 c. Reply
This is fantastic, especially the dressing. I recommend not rinsing the pasta and tossing it with the dressing right out of the pot! Reply
Made this salad for my daughters baby shower I doubled it. The only thing I changed was a yellow and red pepper instead of a green pepper. It was a huge success. Thanks Reply
Great recipe!! My family loved it and the dressing was so good. Made it fir the 4th of July and used yellow peppers instead of green which added more color, since the oarsely was already green!! Thanks for this recipe. Happy birthday America. Reply
