by HollyGreek Pasta Salad is an easy side, perfect to prep ahead and a hit at every party or potluck! Tender pasta, ripe juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, feta cheese and olives are tossed in a Greek dressing for the perfect make ahead side dish.
We often add grilled chicken to make it a complete meal marinated in our favorite Greek Dresssing for a full meal!
I’m a huge fan of Greek Salad, it’s easy and fresh and it’s one of those recipes where I always seem to have the ingredients on hand.
The very first time I had a Greek Salad, it was made by my friend Lisa way back in 1997 when she brought it to a barbecue at my house.
Once I’d had it that first time, we started having Greek salad every week or more! As much as I love a good Greek salad, I’m also kind of crazy for pasta salad (Dill Pickle Pasta Salad or Hawaiian Pasta Salad anyone?).
I started playing around with the my original Greek Salad recipe and made it into a pasta salad. The combination of ripe juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, red onions, feta cheese, olives and pasta tossed with a delicious greek dressing is crazy good and makes the perfect meal or side dish!
How to Make Greek Pasta Salad
- Cook your pasta al dente and rinse under cold water to stop cooking.
- While the pasta is cooking, wash and chop your fresh veggies
- Combine everything in a large bowl and toss with dressing, chill before serving! So easy right?
What Veggies go into a Greek Pasta Salad?
- cucumbers
- tomatoes
- red onions
- bell peppers
- olives
Of course you can prepare a homemade dressing for this recipe but using a store bought Greek dressing makes it really quick to make and tastes delicious! This recipe is loaded with veggies and we often use a whole wheat pasta and a light Greek dressing to make a this a healthy Greek pasta salad.
More Pasta Salad Recipes You’ll Love
- Italian Pasta Salad (easy!)
- Caesar Pasta Salad – Full meal in one dish
- Avocado Pasta Salad
- Dill Pickle Pasta Salad – Popular for potlucks!
- Summer Pasta Salad – Garden fresh
More Greek Inspired Recipes
- Greek Tortellini Salad
- Greek Tzatziki (Yogurt Cucumber Dip)
- Greek Spaghetti Squash
- Baklava Cheesecake
If your family finds the red onion has a little bit too much bite you can soak it in ice water with a pinch of salt as you’re preparing the rest of the ingredients. Shake for 10 seconds, drain and repeat if needed.
This salad will hold up in the fridge for about 5 days so it’s the perfect school or work lunch and is a great make ahead dish for a barbecue or potluc!
Greek Pasta Salad
Prep Time 8 minutes
Servings 12 servings
Ingredients
- 16 ounces short pasta rotini, bow ties, penne
- ¾ long english cucumber diced
- 1 pint grape tomatoes halved
- 1 bell pepper red or orange, diced
- ½ cup sliced pitted olives
- ½ cup feta cheese cubed
- ⅓ cup red onion diced
Dressing
- 1 cup bottled greek vinaigrette dressing
OR
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Whisk together dressing ingredients.
- Cook pasta al dente according to package directions. Rinse under cold water.
- Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Add dressing and toss.
- Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.
Nutrition Information
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.)
More Recipes You’ll Love
