Greek Pasta Salad with Feta (Printable)
A refreshing Mediterranean pasta toss with feta, olives, crisp veggies, and zesty lemon dressing — ready in 30 minutes.
# What You'll Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 10 oz short pasta (penne, rotini, or fusilli)
→ Vegetables
02 - 1 English cucumber, diced
03 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
04 - 7 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
05 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
06 - 3.5 oz Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
→ Cheese & Herbs
07 - 5 oz feta cheese, cubed or crumbled
08 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
09 - 1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped (optional)
→ Dressing
10 - 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
11 - 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
12 - 1 tsp dried oregano
13 - 1 garlic clove, minced
14 - 1/2 tsp salt
15 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
16 - Zest of 1 lemon
# How To Make:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain in a colander and rinse thoroughly under cold running water to halt cooking and cool the pasta completely.
02 - In a large salad bowl, toss together the cooled pasta, diced cucumber, diced red bell pepper, halved cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced red onion, and halved Kalamata olives.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, dried oregano, minced garlic, salt, freshly ground black pepper, and lemon zest until well blended and emulsified.
04 - Pour the prepared dressing over the pasta and vegetable mixture. Toss thoroughly to ensure all ingredients are evenly coated.
05 - Gently fold in the crumbled or cubed feta cheese, chopped parsley, and dill if using, taking care not to break apart the feta.
06 - Taste the salad and adjust salt, pepper, or vinegar as needed to balance the flavors.
07 - Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld together. Serve chilled.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The dressing doubles as a marinade for vegetables, so every bite carries bright, tangy depth.
- It travels beautifully and actually tastes better after sitting, which makes it the most stress free potluck dish imaginable.
02 -
- Do not skip rinsing the pasta, because residual heat will melt the feta into a gummy mess and wilt the vegetables.
- Making this a day ahead actually improves it, but wait to add the feta until just before serving for the best texture.
03 -
- Halve the cherry tomatoes cut side down on a plate to catch their juice, then pour it all into the dressing bowl for extra flavor.
- Let the dressed salad sit at room temperature for ten minutes before serving, because cold mutes flavors and everything tastes better slightly relaxed.