Name: GREEK PASTA SALAD
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 pound cooked (drained & cooled bowtie pasta); 1 pint cherry tomatoes (halved); 1 cucumber (chopped); 1/2 cup red onion (sliced thin); 1/2 cup pitted & halved kalamata olives (drained); 1/2 cup diced bell pepper; 4 oz container plain feta cheese (crumbled); 2/3 cup red wine vinegar; 1/2 cup olive oil; 2 TBSP lemon juice; 1 tsp garlic powder; 1 tsp dried oregano; 1 tsp dried basil; 1 tsp black pepper; 1 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp sugar

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Greek Pasta Salad is fresh, flavorful, and simple to put together. It’s the perfect side dish! Loaded with vegetables and drizzled with a homemade lemon greek vinaigrette, it’s easy to make, and everyone enjoys it. Perfect topped with crumbled feta cheese and a few additional olives.

My husband and I both adore Greek food. I adapted this recipe from an older salad recipe on our site that uses quinoa in place of pasta. I love both, but there’s something about a good pasta salad that I just love in the summertime. This Greek Pasta Salad fits the bill! I also added a bit of lemon juice to the vinaigrette, which tastes just wonderful. Enjoy!

The Best Greek Pasta Salad

Greek flavors are always pretty popular in everything from chicken to salads, and this pasta salad is no different. Make a batch and watch how fast it disappears. The salad dressing is made from scratch and perfectly complements every last bite of this filling side dish.

Why You’ll Love This Salad Recipe

It’s easy to make! We use a lot of great ingredients in this greek pasta salad recipe to make it taste truly perfect. From the feta cheese to the fresh cucumber and kalamata olives in every scoop, you’ll adore everything this dish has to offer.
It’s deliciously vegetarian. With no meats added to this dish, it’s perfectly fine to serve up to vegetarian guests, but you can always go an extra step and add in some cooked chicken to turn this simple side dish into a filling meal.
You can prep it in advance. While I don’t recommend mixing all of the ingredients together too far in advance, you can prepare the veggies and the dressing and keep them separate so that when it’s time to serve, all you have to do is mix it all together and scoop the easy greek pasta salad onto serving plates.

Feta Cheese Pasta Salad Ingredients

Pasta: You will need 1 pound of cooked, drained, and cooled bowtie pasta noodles to complete this salad. Note that any short pasta noodle can be used instead.

Tomatoes: Add in 1 pint of halved cherry tomatoes for vibrant red color and refreshing, tangy taste in every bite.

Cucumber: You will want one chopped cucumber to add to your salad. You can peel it or leave it with the skins depending on your preference.

Onion: Adding 1/2 cup of thinly sliced red onion will give us a lot more flavor.

Olives: Kalamata olives are very popular in Greek and Mediterranean diets. You will want 1/2 cup of pitted and halved kalamata olives (drained of all liquids).

Bell pepper: Add in 1/2 cup of diced bell pepper. You can use red or green bell peppers for this (or a mixture of both).

Feta cheese: A full 4 ounce container of plain crumbled feta cheese will be plenty for this recipe.

For the greek pasta salad dressing, you will need:

Red wine vinegar: The base of the dressing is red wine vinegar which adds a little acid and a lot of depth of flavor.

Olive oil: Use 1/2 cup of olive oil to help spread the dressing ingredients around and get them to coat the salad well.

Lemon juice: You will need 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to really get the dressing fresh and perfect in taste.

Seasonings: For seasoning the dressing, you will want 1 teaspoon each of garlic powder, dried oregano, and dried basil.

Salt and pepper: Use 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper and 1 teaspoon of salt to make this dish well flavored.

Sugar: You’ll just need 1/2 teaspoon of sugar to help cut the acidic taste in the dressing to make it more palatable.

How to Make Greek Pasta Salad

Combine dressing ingredients in a jar and shake well to mix.

Chill until ready to use.

Cook the pasta per package instructions. Rinse pasta with cold water.

Toss with a splash of olive oil and place in a large bowl in the fridge until you’re ready to put the salad together.

Slice & chop vegetables.

Place vegetables in a bowl with pasta.

Pour dressing on top and stir until combined.

Gently mix in feta cheese crumbles.

GREEK PASTA SALAD

Fresh & flavorful Greek Pasta Salad is the perfect side dish! Loaded with vegetables and drizzled with a homemade lemon greek vinaigrette, it’s easy to make and everyone enjoys it. Perfect topped with crumbled feta cheese and a few additional olives.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: GREEK PASTA SALAD

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Servings:

Calories: 188kcal

Author: Jessica & Nellie

Ingredients

1 pound cooked drained & cooled bowtie pasta
1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
1 cucumber chopped
1/2 cup red onion sliced thin
1/2 cup pitted & halved kalamata olives drained
1/2 cup diced bell pepper
4 oz container plain feta cheese crumbled

Dressing

2/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
2 TBSP lemon juice
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar

Instructions

Combine dressing ingredients in a jar and shake well to mix. Chill until ready to use.
Cook the pasta per package instructions. Rinse pasta with cold water. Toss with a splash of olive oil and place in a large bowl in the fridge, until you’re ready to put the salad together.
Slice & chop vegetables. Place vegetables in bowl with pasta. Pour dressing on top and stir until combined. Gently mix in feta cheese crumbles.
Serves approximately 12. Store leftovers in the fridge.

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Nutrition

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How long is Greek pasta salad good for?

This pasta salad is good for up to 3 or 4 days if kept stored in an airtight container in the fridge. For best tasting results, we recommend eating it within 24 to 48 hours because the pasta can become soggy the longer it sits in the dressing.

Can I make Greek pasta salad in advance?

You can prepare the salad up to 2 -4 hours before serving it, but it’s best when enjoyed fresh. If you wish to make it the day in advance, you’ll want to ensure the pasta is cooked Al dente and separated from the dressing in their airtight containers. Assemble just before serving.

Why does Greek salad taste so good?

We aren’t sure what it is, but we’re thankful for it. Our best guess is that this salad has the perfect balance of savory, sweet, tangy, and salty in every crispy soft bite for a perfect balance of textures and flavors.

Like this salad recipe? Here are a few others you’ll enjoy:

Loaded with fresh veggies and a homemade greek dressing on top, this greek pasta salad recipe is one that we can all enjoy. Perfectly topped with feta cheese and olives, this salad is one everyone will want another serving of.