Greek Pasta Salad

Greek Pasta Salad is a healthy and easy side dish that’s perfect for meal prep. It’s loaded with bell peppers, juicy tomatoes, cucumbers, kalamata olives, and creamy feta cheese, which are all tossed in a tasty Greek salad dressing.

I love making pasta salad during the summer months when veggies are in peak season. This Greek pasta salad is easy to make ahead of time, so you’ll have a quick lunch or snack waiting for you in the fridge.

I like to serve this pasta salad with a side of grilled chicken, tofu, or marinated chickpeas for an easy weeknight dinner. This would also be a great side dish to bring to any BBQ or potluck to share at gatherings.

What pasta goes well in Greek salad?

You can choose your favorite pasta shape to make this salad. I love using farfalle (bow tie) pasta to make this Greek pasta salad, but you could use penne, rotini, or fusilli.

For a gluten-free pasta, a lentil-based pasta would be a great choice.

Greek Pasta Salad Ingredients

Below is everything you need to make this tasty pasta salad, including substitution suggestions.

Pasta: I use farfalle (bow tie) pasta to make this recipe. It holds it shape well and it’s easy to eat this pasta with a spoon since farfalle is small.

Other pasta choices that I recommend for this salad include penne, rotini, or fusilli.

Cucumber: I use 1 cup of diced cucumber, which adds a lovely crunch to this salad. You can use an English cucumber or Persian cucumber (mini cucumber).

Bell pepper: I like using green bell pepper because that’s what you’ll find in traditional Greek salad. You can use red, yellow, or orange bell pepper if you prefer.

Kalamata olives: This is a classic Greek olive variety and tastes amazing in this salad. 

Cherry tomatoes: I use halved cherry tomatoes in this pasta salad because they are small and sweet. It’s easy to scoop them up with a spoon.

Red onion: Chopped red onion adds a sharp flavor to this salad. If you don’t like red onion, you can substitute with sliced green onions (scallions).

Fresh herbs: Fresh parsley and oregano really bring this salad to life. You can substitute with dried oregano, fresh mint or dill if you prefer.

Feta cheese: I like using Greek feta that comes in brine, which is a saltwater solution. You can buy it in a block, which you can crumble yourself, or in pre-cut cubes that’s stored in brine.

Greek salad dressing: My homemade Greek salad dressing is made with extra virgin olive oil (I recommend Greek olive oil), red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey (or maple syrup), garlic, lemon zest, and fresh oregano leaves.

How to make Greek pasta salad

Make the dressing. In a Mason jar, add the extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, lemon zest, honey (or maple syrup if using), Dijon mustard, oregano, a generous pinch of salt and several grinds of fresh black pepper.

Seal the jar and give it a good shake until the dressing has emulsified. Don’t have a jar? Add everything to a mixing bowl and whisk until combined. Set aside.

Cook the pasta and drain. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente according to package directions. Drain in a colander or strainer and immediately rinse in cool water until the pasta feels room temperature to the touch.

Assemble the salad. In a large bowl, add the cooled pasta, cucumber, green bell pepper, kalamata olives, cherry tomatoes, red onion, fresh parsley (or dill or mint if using), and feta cheese.

Cover and refrigerate. Add HALF of the prepared dressing and gently toss to combine. Let the pasta salad chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours before serving.

Add the remaining half of the dressing and enjoy! Just before serving, add the remaining half of the dressing and toss to combine.

Short on time? Add the entire dressing when you assemble the salad and serve immediately or let chill for at least 20-30 minutes in the fridge. 

What is the secret to a good pasta salad?

Below are a few tips for making good pasta salad.

Use a short and sturdy pasta shape. Penne, fusilli, rotini, farfalle (bow tie), orzo, or cavatappi.

Use dried pasta, not fresh. Dried pasta will hold its shape much better in pasta salad. Plus, it’s cheap and something most people always have in their pantry.

Fresh pasta is more delicate and tastes better when served warm.

Cook the pasta in well-salted water. This is a crucial step for flavorful and delicious pasta.

To cook the pasta past al dente, or to not cook the pasta past al dente? Some people swear that cooking the pasta a little past al dente makes it taste better in pasta salad.

Their reasoning is that al dente pasta gets hard and chewy as it cools, but the extra cooking time keeps it nice and moist.

I’ve tried both methods and I prefer to cook my pasta to al dente, then rinsing it briefly under cool water until it’s room temperature. Cooking it past al dente tends to get a little mushy and gummy.

If you choose to cook it past al dente, I recommend adding just one extra minute of cooking time.

Let it rest in the fridge. While you can enjoy pasta salad immediately after making it, I find that it tastes best after chilling in the fridge for a couple of hours.

Save some of the dressing. When pasta salad chills in the fridge, the noodles will soak up most of the dressing. To keep it nice and moist, assemble the salad with only half of the dressing and save the other half of the dressing to add just before serving.

Make-ahead and storage suggestions

You can prep all the ingredients up to one day in advance – except the pasta – and store them in separate airtight containers in the fridge. The Greek salad dressing can also be prepared up to one day in advance and stored in the fridge until ready to use.

Leftover pasta salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. It’s normal for the pasta noodles to absorb the dressing as it chills in the fridge. You can add more dressing or give the pasta a good stir to get any dressing that may have pooled to the bottom before serving.

Please let me know how you like this Greek pasta salad recipe in the comments below! Your feedback and review encourages me to keep creating new and yummy recipes. I hope you love this pasta salad as much as I do.

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