Looking for a light, refreshing pasta salad that still feels like comfort food? This Greek Pasta Salad is exactly what you need. With a bright, simple vinaigrette, crisp vegetables, briny olives, and salty crumbled feta, this salad balances fresh Mediterranean flavors with familiar pasta-salad comfort. It’s an ideal dish for weeknight dinners, potlucks, or a healthy make-ahead lunch.
John has long made a homemade Greek salad dressing that brings this pasta salad to life. Once I tried his version tossed with pasta, I understood why it’s become a household favorite. The dressing is bright and herb-forward, and it coats the pasta and vegetables perfectly without overwhelming the fresh ingredients.
This Greek pasta salad works wonderfully for meal prep and can be made ahead for brunches or family lunches. It travels well because it can be served at room temperature or chilled. The recipe yields plenty for a family of four to six, and it scales easily if you’re feeding a crowd at a barbecue or picnic.
If you want to make the salad more substantial, add grilled protein such as Greek yogurt marinated chicken breasts for extra richness and flavor. Shrimp or grilled salmon are other good options. Serve the salad alongside fresh bread or on its own for a wholesome, Mediterranean-inspired meal that’s both satisfying and light.
How To Make Greek Pasta Salad
- Make the dressing: Whisk olive oil, chopped parsley, minced garlic, balsamic vinegar, fresh lemon juice, black pepper, and salt in a large bowl until smooth and well combined.
- Combine olives and tomatoes: Add halved cherry tomatoes, Kalamata olives, green olives, and thinly sliced red onion to the dressing. Toss so the dressing coats the tomatoes and olives evenly.
- Assemble the salad: Gently fold in sliced cucumber, cooked penne pasta, and crumbled feta cheese. Stir just until everything is evenly combined. Serve with lemon wedges for extra brightness if desired.
Recipe Tips
- Dice the onions and cucumbers to roughly the same size so every bite has balanced texture and flavor.
- Cook the pasta to al dente. Slightly firm pasta holds up better in a salad and absorbs the dressing without becoming mushy.
- If preparing ahead, wait to add the feta until just before serving to keep the cheese from becoming too soft.
- For best flavor, chill the salad for at least two hours so the dressing can meld with the vegetables and pasta.
Variations
- Use any short pasta you prefer—rotini, penne, orzo, or fusilli work well. For a low-carb option, try spiralized zucchini in place of pasta.
- Swap or add proteins: grilled chicken, shrimp, or seared salmon add substance and make this a complete meal.
- Mix in other vegetables to vary the salad: bell peppers, artichoke hearts, roasted asparagus, or even blanched green beans make fine additions.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Keep in mind that the vegetables will soften the longer the salad sits, so the texture is best within the first two days. Freezing is not recommended because the pasta and fresh vegetables do not freeze well.
More Pasta Recipes to Try
- Broccoli Pasta
- One-Pot Jambalaya Pasta
- TikTok Feta Pasta
- Tuscan Chicken Pasta
- Rigatoni Caprese Pasta
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Greek Pasta Salad
Kim
40 minutes
20 minutes
1 hour 5 minutes
8 Servings
What You’ll Need
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 lemon, juiced
- ½ teaspoon 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, quartered lengthwise and sliced
- 8 ounces penne pasta, cooked and drained
- 6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
How to Make It
- Whisk the olive oil, parsley, garlic, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, black pepper, and salt together in a large bowl until well combined.
- Add the halved cherry tomatoes, Kalamata olives, green olives, and thinly sliced red onion to the bowl. Toss gently so the dressing coats the vegetables evenly.
- Fold in the sliced cucumber, cooked penne pasta, and crumbled feta cheese. Stir gently until everything is combined, taking care not to break the tomatoes or feta. Serve with lemon wedges if desired.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. See storage notes above for best results.
Suggested Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- Colander
- Whisk
Notes
- Nutrition estimates are approximate and based on the ingredients listed and a serving size of about 1 cup. Actual nutrition will vary with ingredient brands and portion sizes.