Name: Greek Pasta Salad
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 12 oz penne (uncooked, or any other pasta of your choice); 2 cups cucumber (chopped); 2 cups grape tomatoes (halved); 1 green bell pepper (chopped); ½ cup olives (such as Kalamata olives, pitted and halved); ½ red onion (chopped); ½ cup feta cheese (crumbled); ¼ cup red wine vinegar; ⅓ cup olive oil; 2 tbsp lemon juice (freshly squeezed); ½ tsp garlic powder; 1 tbsp fresh oregano (or 1 tsp dried); ½ tsp salt (or to taste); ½ tsp pepper (or to taste)

This simple Greek Pasta Salad recipe paired with a homemade dressing is fresh, bright, and filling. It’s a perfect contribution for your next potluck or for your dinner table on a busy weeknight.

overhead of a large white bowl filled with greek pasta salad

I’m so excited to share this recipe! This is a combination of some of my favorite things. Greek salad and pasta? Sign me up! Whether you serve this to guests or to your family, one thing is for sure. You won’t have to worry much about leftovers!

The hardest part about this recipe is just chopping up your veggies. Have the pasta boil while you chop away, then all you have to do is mix everything together! It’s so simple. I love pasta salads and I’m always looking for new ways to switch them up and try something new. This one is definitely a winner!

What is Greek salad?

This crisp and refreshing salad is traditionally made with cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, kalamata olives, and feta cheese. It’s dressed with a red wine vinaigrette herbed with fresh oregano.

If we get really true to Greek roots here, this salad would be served with a slice of feta on top rather than mixed in. For ease of serving this salad to a crowd, we typically see the cheese crumbled or cubed in North America.

Ingredients

I kept this salad nice and basic. Greek salad is very consistent across the board with the veggies typically used and they work so well together! Keep scrolling for the full recipe and ingredient amounts.

For this recipe you’ll need:

Penne – Make sure to rinse your pasta well with cold water after you strain it. This will cool it down to an appropriate temperature for the salad, and also prevent the noodles from sticking together.
Cucumbers – I used mini cucumbers but english cucumbers will also work.
Cherry tomatoes – I found these beautiful mini heirloom tomatoes which made the salad look colorful! You can use regular cherry or grape tomatoes instead.
Bell pepper – I used a green bell pepper for this recipe but any type will work.
Kalamata olives – I found a jar of pitted and halved olives which made prep much easier. French black, Gaeta, or California black olives will work as well.
Red onion – You can use a more mild yellow or white onion if you prefer. If you don’t like raw onion, you can blanch them by placing the sliced onions in a strainer and pouring boiling water over them. Rinse with cold water and they will taste much more tame.

Greek salad dressing

Homemade greek salad dressing is not only miles better than what you’ll find in a bottle, but it’s also very simple.

For the dressing you’ll need:

Red wine vinegar – This ingredient is a must in your pantry if it’s not already there! It adds such a wonderful flavor to salads. I love to make simple vinaigrettes with it.
Olive oil – You can also use mild flavored oils such as safflower, walnut, or grape-seed.
Garlic powder – You can use some fresh minced garlic if you prefer.
Oregano – I used fresh oregano because it complimented the veggies so well. If you have dried oregano at home that will also work.
Salt and pepper – Season to taste. I like to top my salad with fresh cracked pepper as garnish.
Lemon Juice – Just a couple tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice.

How to make Greek pasta salad

Cook the pasta: Boil the pasta according to package instructions. After you strain the pasta, rinse it well with cold water from the tap until it has cooled completely. Set it aside in a large bowl.
Prep the veggies: Slice all the veggies into bite-sized pieces. I like to have the olives halved but you can keep them whole. I have both cubed and crumbled feta in the salad to make sure every bite is a bit cheesy. Place all the ingredients in the large bowl with the cooled pasta.
Make the Greek salad dressing: Add all the dressing ingredients to a mason jar and shake well until everything is mixed well. Pour over the salad, and mix everything together well.
Finish the salad: Garnish with a sprinkle of oregano, crumbled feta, and some freshly cracked pepper.

What type of pasta can I use?

Any small shape will work for this recipe. Try out rotini, rigatoni, shells, farfalle, orzo, or even your favorite flavor of tortellini. If you come across some fun shapes like scoobi doo (yes, that’s a real thing) or gimelli then feel free give those a try!

You can also make this salad with quinoa or bulgur to add extra nutrition.

overhead of a clear bowl full of greek pasta salad

What else can I add?

Want to turn this recipe into a meal? Slice up some chicken, steak, or even cooked and crumbled ground meat of your choice.

If you want to keep it vegetarian and add some protein, try out cubed firm tofu or you can add rinsed canned beans. Black beans, chickpeas, or kidney beans would all taste awesome!

Make ahead

If you are making this salad a few hours or even a couple days ahead of time you can mix all the ingredients together, but leave the greek salad dressing aside until you’re ready to serve. I like to keep in in a mason jar so I can give it a good shake right before pouring it over the salad.

How to serve

I might be a bit biased, but I think this pasta salad goes with pretty much any meal. Try it alongside these recipes:

Leftovers

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 4 days. If the pasta absorbs too much of the dressing, you can refresh it with a splash of each olive oil and red wine vinegar.

I wouldn’t recommend freezing this recipe. As the veggies and pasta thaw, they will become very soggy and will fall apart. This is a recipe best enjoyed fresh!

Greek Pasta Salad