This easy Greek Pasta Salad brings the vibrant flavors of the Mediterranean right to your table! Packed with fresh vegetables, pasta, olives, feta, and a tangy dressing, this salad makes the perfect light lunch or refreshing side dish.
Looking for more salad recipes to take to your summer barbecue? Try my Pea Salad or Seven Layer Salad!
Greek Pasta Salad Recipe
Craving a fresh salad to enjoy this summer? This Greek pasta salad is the answer! Bursting with juicy cherry tomatoes, cool English cucumbers, and crunchy bell peppers, it’s a tasty combination of Mediterranean flavors. Crumbled feta cheese adds a creamy richness, while a vibrant dressing ties everything together.
This salad is incredibly easy to make. The simple and flavorful Greek Salad dressing comes together in minutes, and the whole dish can be prepped ahead of time, making it a lifesaver for busy weeknights or last minute get togethers. Just toss everything together, chill, and enjoy!
Recipe Notes:
This salad keeps wonderfully, so you could double the recipe to eat throughout the week or make a larger batch for a picnic or barbecue.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Effortless: This recipe is a winner for busy cooks. Chopping the veggies is super quick and easy, the flavorful Greek Salad dressing takes just a couple of minutes to whisk together, and the entire salad can be prepped beforehand.
- Perfect for Any Occasion: This salad can be a fantastic light lunch, a refreshing side dish alongside grilled meats or fish, or a fan favorite at a potluck or barbecue.
- Versatile: The base recipe for this salad is great, but feel free to make changes to make it your own! Don’t like olives? Leave them out. Craving protein? Add grilled chicken or chickpeas. Have leftover roasted vegetables? Toss them in! This recipe is a great way to use up what you have on hand and create a dish that works for your taste.
How to Make Greek Pasta Salad
Hot summer days beg for fresh, flavorful dishes that are quick and easy to prepare, like this Greek pasta salad. As always, you can find the full printable recipe card at the end of this post.
Greek Pasta Salad
- Cook pasta according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain the pasta and rinse it under cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside.
- Combine the halved cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber, diced bell pepper, olives, red onion, crumbled feta cheese, and chopped fresh parsley in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Greek Pasta Salad Dressing
- Whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, dried oregano, salt, and pepper until well combined.
Assemble
- Add pasta to the bowl of vegetables and toss in the dressing.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Before serving, give the salad a final toss to redistribute the dressing.
- Garnish with additional fresh herbs if you would like.
Storage Information
Refrigerator: Leftover salad can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Make Ahead: Prepare the salad up to 3 days in advance. Don’t add the dressing and feta until just before serving. Greek Pasta Salad Dressing can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored separately from the salad ingredients.
Variations to Try
This Greek Salad Pasta recipe is perfection as is but here are some tasty variations to try:
- You can substitute almost any of the vegetables for different varieties: any color bell pepper, any variety of cucumber you prefer, or any olives you would like.
- If you want to add some heat to the salad, you can add a jalapeño pepper, deseeded and chopped.
- Get creative and add in extra ingredients from your fridge or pantry! Toss in a can of chickpeas from your pantry or add leftover roasted vegetables from last night’s dinner.
- Adding chopped chicken or ham to this salad would be delicious and a great way to add some protein to make it a more balanced meal.
- If you want a gluten-free salad, try using brown rice pasta, lentil pasta, or quinoa instead of the bow tie pasta.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I do to prevent the salad from getting soggy?
Store the dressing separately. This prevents the pasta from absorbing too much dressing and becoming soggy. Toss everything together just before serving.
Can I use a different type of pasta?
Sure! While the recipe calls for bow tie pasta, feel free to experiment with different shapes like penne, rotini, fusilli, or even small shells. Just keep in mind that the shape should be able to hold onto the dressing and other ingredients well.
Trish’s Tips
- Cook your pasta al dente according to package instructions. This ensures it has a nice bite and won’t get mushy in the salad.
- Rinse the pasta with cold water after draining! This stops the cooking process and prevents the pasta from sticking together.
- Use high-quality, fresh vegetables for the best flavor and texture.
- Store the dressing separately from the salad to prevent the pasta from becoming soggy. Toss everything together just before serving.
More Salad Recipes to Try
Greek Pasta Salad
Ingredients
Pasta Salad
- 8 ounces bow tie pasta
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- ½ English cucumber diced
- ½ bell pepper diced, I used green bell pepper
- ¼ cup black olives chopped
- ¼ cup red onion chopped
- ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- salt and pepper to taste
Greek Pasta Salad Dressing
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add some salt. Add the bow tie pasta and cook according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain the pasta and rinse it under cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside.8 ounces bow tie pasta
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the halved cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber, diced bell pepper, olives, red onion, crumbled feta cheese, and chopped fresh parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste.1 cup cherry tomatoes, ½ English cucumber, ½ bell pepper, ¼ cup black olives, ¼ cup red onion, ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, salt and pepper to taste
- In a small bowl, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, dried oregano, salt, and pepper until well combined.¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1 clove garlic, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, salt and pepper to taste
- Add the cooked and cooled bow tie pasta to the bowl of vegetables and feta cheese. Pour the prepared dressing over the salad and toss until everything is evenly coated in the dressing.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the Bow Tie Pasta Salad for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together and the salad to chill.
- Before serving, give the salad a final toss to redistribute the dressing. Garnish with additional fresh herbs if you would like.
First of all the bow tie pasta is a good choice. Made as per the recipe except I only had Camparis and eliminated the bell pepper (only eat hot peppers). So easy and so tasty. I enjoyed it over 4 days. And the homemade dressing is the way to go. Great option for a side dish.
I think the homemade dressing really makes the salad special – so glad you enjoyed it Susan!