Easy Greek Pasta Salad

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This Greek-Inspired Pasta Salad is a refreshing, vibrant, and colorful dish featuring tender rotini, crisp veggies, tangy feta cheese, and a zesty homemade vinaigrette. It’s the perfect make-ahead side for cookouts, potlucks, or easy lunches all week long.

 

Why You Will Love This Recipe

It’s quick, customizable, and bursting with flavor. The crunchy cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, briny olives, and creamy feta are balanced by a simple vinaigrette that’s light yet flavorful. It travels well, pairs with almost anything, and is guaranteed to impress.

 

Easy Greek Pasta Salad

There’s something incredibly satisfying about a pasta salad done right. When warm weather hits or you just need a no-fuss dish, pasta salad becomes the go-to. But forget bland versions—this Greek-Inspired Pasta Salad packs a punch of bold Mediterranean flavors with every bite.

At its core, this is a celebration of texture and freshness. Al dente pasta provides the hearty base, while the vegetables—cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, and bell peppers—add color, crunch, and nutrients.

Feta cheese brings a creamy saltiness that ties everything together, while the kalamata olives lend a pop of briny richness that keeps the flavor balanced. You can cube your feta or crumble it—either way, it adds a beautiful contrast to the crisp veggies.

Now let’s talk about the dressing. It’s homemade and simple, but packs tons of flavor. A base of olive oil and white wine vinegar (used here in place of red wine vinegar) is infused with garlic, oregano, lemon zest, and a little fresh lemon juice. It’s tangy, herby, and complements every component in the bowl.

This dish is easy to customize, too. Want more veggies? Toss in some chopped spinach or artichoke hearts. Need protein? Add grilled chicken, chickpeas, or turkey meatballs.

It’s ideal for meal prepping because it keeps well in the fridge for several days. In fact, the flavors only get better as they marinate together.

It’s also a fantastic potluck or BBQ side. It doesn’t require reheating and is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser for all kinds of eaters.

Whether you serve it cold or at room temp, this salad is light, satisfying, and so easy to love.

And while it’s technically a side, don’t be surprised if it steals the spotlight.

If you’ve never tried making your own pasta salad dressing, this is the one to start with—it takes just minutes and tastes far superior to anything store-bought.

This is a pasta salad you’ll return to again and again, for its flavor, ease, and versatility.

 

 

 

 

Servings 6–8

Time

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

For the Dressing:

  • 1/2 cup olive oil

  • 1/3 cup white wine vinegar

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano

  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest

  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

  • Salt and black pepper, to taste

For the Salad:

  • 1 pound rotini or other short pasta

  • 1 English cucumber, diced

  • 1/3 cup diced bell pepper (any color)

  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion

  • 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

  • 8 oz feta cheese, cubed or crumbled

  • 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 7–10 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water.

  2. While pasta cooks, prepare the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, garlic, oregano, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

  3. In a large salad bowl, combine cooked pasta, cucumbers, bell pepper, red onion, tomatoes, feta, and olives.

  4. Drizzle dressing over the salad. Gently toss to combine.

  5. Taste and adjust salt if needed. Serve immediately or chill for later.

Tips

  • Rinse pasta under cold water after cooking to stop it from overcooking.

  • Make it ahead: Chill for a few hours so the flavors can develop.

  • Add chickpeas, grilled chicken, or spinach for extra protein or fiber.

  • Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

 

 

 

 

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