Greek Pasta Salad Recipe (So Easy & Flavorful)

Nothing screams “summer side dish” to me quite like this easy and flavorful Greek Pasta Salad recipe. Combining creamy feta with tangy Greek vinaigrette and fresh produce, this is a perfect dish for a hot summer day. 

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 Greek Pasta Salad Recipe (So Easy & Flavorful)

There’s just something special about a Greek salad. I first became addicted to them early in my corporate America days when I’d go to my local Panera Bread for lunch. Fresh and crisp, tangy and delicious… I couldn’t get enough of their Greek salads. Over time I started making the salads at home and eventually decided to try my favorite Greek salad toppings as a pasta salad. 

Pasta salad and Greek salad are the duo I didn’t even know I needed. But this Greek pasta salad recipe has become a family favorite that I make for my own kids all the time. I also get asked to bring it to gatherings with our extended family all Summer long. It’s definitely a crowd pleaser.

I love making this as a side when we grill chicken, hamburgers, or hot dogs but it’s even great on its own. I love that this recipe makes a HUGE batch of pasta salad because I will eat it all week long. Yum!

My biggest flex with this recipe is that my oldest daughter (4 years old) says it’s her favorite food. She loves it & so do I! Any recipe that gets a kiddo eating fresh tomatoes and cucumbers by the forkful is a winner in my eyes.

WHY THIS GREEK PASTA SALAD RECIPE WORKS

Incorporates vegetables: I love finding any recipe that my family loves that incorporate fresh foods. Load this up with tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, and olives. Leave out anything you don’t like and it’ll still be great! Don’t judge me but I typically skip the olives when I make it for my family.

Flavorful: The creamy feta cheese, salty Greek vinaigrette, and fresh produce combine for a great texture and flavor. 

Easy:  Boil some pasta, cool it, and add it the rest of the ingredients to a bowl. It really can’t get much easier! 

Under 30 minutes: Multi-task and chop your produce while the pasta cooks and this will be done before you know it! 15 minutes and you’re ready to eat!

Great for a Crowd: I am often asked to bring this to family gatherings because it’s always a hit! It’s perfect for potlucks and backyard BBQs. You can easily bulk it up by using extra noodles to save money!

INGREDIENTS:

• Pasta: Use a one pound box of your favorite pasta shape. I love mini bowties for this recipe.
• Tomato: You can use any kind of tomato you have on hand but I like grape tomatoes quartered. If you’re like me and are too impatient to chop the tomatoes with a knife, I can’t recommend this grape cutter enough!
• Cucumber: Chop a cucumber into small pieces. I love mini-cucumbers the most! 
• Red Onion: My kiddos prefer this recipe without red onion but I love it. I make it both with and without depending on how willing I am to pick them out for the kiddos that day.
• Olives: Of course, olives are a standard ingredient in any Greek style salad. I’m personally not a fan so when making this for my little family, I skip them. When I make it for a crowd, I add them in and just don’t eat them myself.
• Feta: Crumbled Feta adds creaminess and tang. YUM. 
• Store-bought Greek Vinaigrette (or make your own): I know, I know. I use store-bought Greek Vinaigrette 95% of the time when I make this. Don’t judge me. Feel free to make your own. I love Ken’s Steakhouse Simply Greek Vinaigrette. 

HOW TO COOK GREEK PASTA SALAD:

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Add pasta and cook according to package instructions to al dente. 
3. Meanwhile, chop onion, tomato, cucumber, and olives. 
4. Add the above to a bowl along with Feta cheese.
5. Drain pasta and allow it to cool.
6. Add the pasta to the bowl with the veggies and Feta. 
7. Top with approximately ½ bottle of Greek Vinaigrette (more or less to taste).
8. When serving this dish in subsequent days, feel free to add a bit of extra vinaigrette to refresh the flavor as the pasta absorbs some of it over time. 

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

I love serving this with grilled chicken, hamburgers, hot dogs, and deli sandwiches. It’s very versatile and can be served with a variety of dishes!

STORAGE

This dish stores well for approximately four days in the refrigerator. Over time, the pasta absorbs the vinaigrette so the flavor becomes more mild. Add additional vinaigrette when serving if desired.

Do not freeze. 

RECIPE NOTES:

Use any pasta shape you like! My kiddos love bowtie pasta so that’s what I typically use but anything you have on hand will be just fine.

I wish I could find the article I was reading recently that taught me a brand new trick for making pasta salad. In the past, I’ve always just drained my hot pasta and run it under cold water until it was cool enough to mix in with the veggies. The article I came across introduced me to the concept of “shocking” the pasta by dunking the strainer full of pasta into a bowl of ice water to cool it quickly. Of course, I had known about blanching vegetables then dunking them in ice water but never considered doing the same with pasta. I tried the process and it works SO fast. I’m definitely a convert.

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