This delicious Greek Pasta Salad is a total treat ... it's quick, easy to make, and bursting with fresh flavors! This is a recipe you'll turn to again and again, perfect for all your summer meals. Make it tonight!
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Are you a Greek Salad lover? Personally, I adore the fresh, bright, bold flavors found in that tasty salad.
It's a classic for a reason, and this Greek Pasta Salad recipe has everything you love about that salad ... chunks of feta, briny olives, crunchy veggies, and a zesty homemade dressing. Yum!
Talk about a bowl of sunshine ... just look at all those beautiful colors and healthy veggies. And you know what? It tastes even better than it looks! One bite, and you'll want to enjoy this easy recipe this spring, summer, and beyond.
Best of all, this crave-worthy pasta salad is super quick and easy to make! You'll love serving this tasty recipe for all your summer parties and BBQs, not to mention, dinner any old night of the week.
Are you getting hungry yet? Then grab the ingredients, because I know you're going to love this easy recipe just as much as I do!
Ingredients
The ingredients for this vegetarian pasta salad were inspired by the popular salad! Here's what you'll need:
- Pasta - This recipe works great with short, spiral-shaped pastas, like rotini, cavatappi, or fusilli for this recipe. I used fusilli corti bucati (basically, a tubular fusilli), which was really fun and springy!
- Veggies - You'll use a combination of fresh vegetables for this recipe: tomatoes, red onions, bell peppers, and cucumbers.
- Feta - Tangy feta cheese gives this recipe its classic Greek taste.
- Olives - Tasty kalamata olives add a wonderful, briny boost-of-flavor.
- Parsley - Fresh parsley adds a punch of fresh flavor. Other herbs, such as oregano or dill can also be used.
- Dressing - This recipe features a homemade Greek Salad Dressing that's so delicious and easy to make, too!
You'll Also Need
You'll need a large pot to cook the pasta, a sharp knife to prep the veggies, and large bowl to mix everything together. A microplane zester is also super helpful for zesting the lemon.
How to Make Greek Pasta Salad
This yummy pasta salad couldn't be easier to make! You'll find a detailed recipe card below, but here's an overview of the steps:
- Cook the pasta. This first thing you need to do is cook the pasta until al dente. Once the pasta is done cooking, drain it, then rinse it with cold water. Rinsing the pasta stops it from cooking further, and it removes any starch from the outside of the pasta, which prevents the salad from sticking together. After rinsing, drain well.
- Make the dressing. While the pasta cooks, whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, oregano, and sugar together until emulsified (well combined). Then season the dressing generously with salt and pepper.
- Prep the veggies. Next, you can cut up all the veggies, keeping in mind that you want everything to be about the same size. That way, the salad is pleasing to look at and easy to eat. You'll also want to crumble the feta and rinse the red onion under cold water. Rinsing the onion removes any sharp, bitter flavors, making the onion less likely to overpower the dish.
- Mix everything together. Use a pair of wood spoons and gently toss the ingredients together, pulling from the bottom of the bowl. Take your time so the pasta maintains its shape. When everything is mixed, give it a taste. Add a little extra salt and pepper to bring out the flavors, if necessary.
And that's it ... your yummy pasta salad with feta, cucumbers, tomatoes, and other goodies is ready to eat! Aren't the colors in this easy pasta salad gorgeous? And with one bite, you'll know that it tastes just as wonderful as it looks.
Serve this healthy Greek Pasta Salad as side dish or main course. It's perfect for parties, BBQs, weeknight dinners, and even meal prep.
Variations
- Gluten Free - To make this recipe gluten-free, simply use gluten-free pasta.
- Vegan - Leave out the feta and make sure to use vegan sugar (look for organic cane sugar) in the dressing.
Storage
Store any leftover pasta salad in an airtight container in your refrigerator. It will stay fresh for three to four days.
Related Recipes
Looking for more pasta salad ideas? Try one my Vegan Pasta Salad, Greek Tortellini Salad, Southwest Pasta Salad, Italian Pasta Salad, Asian Noodle Salad, or Kale Pasta Salad next!
If it's Greek or Mediterranean flavors you're craving, then you're going to love these recipes, too:
- Fried Feta Saganaki
- Grilled Halloumi Salad
- Greek Quinoa Salad
- Greek Coleslaw with Lemon and Feta
- Layered Greek Hummus Dip
- Greek Veggie Burgers
- Baked Feta Dip
Greek Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 (16-ounce) package pasta (such as rotini, cavatappi, fusilli, etc.)
Dressing:
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 large clove garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- salt
- pepper
Other Ingredients:
- 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved or quartered (depending on size)
- ½ red onion, chopped and rinsed under cold water
- 1 English cucumber, quartered and sliced
- 1 bell pepper, chopped
- 8 ounces feta cheese, diced (or crumbled)
- ½ cup halved kalamata olives
- ¼ cup chopped Italian parsley
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente.
- Drain pasta, then rise well under cold water.
- While pasta is cooking, whisk together dressing ingredients (olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, oregano, and sugar). Season generously to taste with salt and pepper.
- Combine pasta, tomatoes, onion, cucumber, bell pepper, feta, olives, and parsley in a large bowl. Pour dressing over top and mix well.
- Taste pasta salad, then adjust seasoning to taste with additional salt and pepper, if desired.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to eat. Enjoy!
Nutrition
I was looking for a salad recipe for the whole family and I stumbled on this article. I read and followed the instructions carefully and I made it deliciously! Every member of my family is so happy! Thanks for this!
I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Kate, and that your family loved it, too! 🙂