Simple and delicious Greek pasta salad with homemade Greek salad dressing. The perfect dish to bring to a pot luck, picnic or when you don’t want to spend all day cooking! Pairs perfectly with Chicken Piccata or Almond Crusted Baked Chicken.
Know those last-minute invites to a BBQ or potluck? The unexpected gathering you weren’t prepared for, but you need to put a delicious dish together quickly? Yep! I’ve been there a time or two! My solution?
Try this easy Greek Pasta Salad.
Using in-season produce and ingredients that are probably already in your pantry, create a pasta dish that everyone will rave about!!
This is a great alternative to the Italian Pasta Salad that is a BBQ standard. Break out of the norm and go Greek!
Greek Pasta Salad (with Greek Salad Dressing)
Besides the fact that my husband loves Greek food, this Greek Pasta Salad is perfect for so many other reasons! It’s…
- A perfect side dish to bring to backyard BBQs and potlucks OR…
- A satisfying and filling lunch. Bring this pasta salad to work, school, or pull out of the fridge midday if you stay at home.
- Healthy! With in-season vegetables, pasta, and homemade Greek dressing, it has only simple real food ingredients.
What is Greek Pasta Salad?
A deliciously easy and simple salad that is full of texture and the Mediterranean flavors of olives, Greek dressing, and Feta cheese. Here’s what you’ll need to make Greek pasta salad:
- Pasta – Use your favorite (elbows, penne, wagon wheels, bow-ties, etc.).
- Cucumber
- Grape tomatoes
- Olives (Kalamata taste best, but black olives will work too)
- Feta cheese
- Greek salad dressing – recipe below.
What is Greek Pasta Salad Dressing Made of?
This dressing is great on salads, but also makes an excellent dressing for pasta and couscous dishes like my 5 min Greek couscous.
Here’s what you need to make Greek dressing:
- Olive oil
- Garlic powder + onion powder + dried oregano + dried basil,
- Salt + black pepper
- Spicy brown mustard
- Red wine vinegar (you can substitute up to half white vinegar without altering the taste)
How to Make Greek Pasta Salad
- Mix ingredients for dressing in a jar or bowl and set aside.
- In a large pot of boiling water, cook pasta, drain and set aside.
- Combine chopped veggies and olives in a large bowl with the prepared Greek dressing.
- Add pasta and feta cheese when the pasta is completely cooled.
Do you let pasta cool before making Greek pasta salad?
Yes. You will want the pasta to mostly cool because you don’t want it to melt the Feta cheese. The good news is that pasta tends to cool rather quickly. Store the prepared pasta salad in the refrigerator.
What does Greek Pasta Salad go with?
This recipe would be perfect served at a BBQ or family gathering. You can even put it on a Grilling Meal Plan like this one! Or prepare it on a weeknight as a side with leftovers for lunch the next day! It would pair perfectly with my Chicken Piccata, Almond Crusted Baked Chicken, Instant Pot BBQ Chicken, or a whole roasted chicken. Serve it with desserts like my:
- Maple Pecan Blondies
- Healthy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Hummus with Apple Slices
- Triple Fudgy Paleo Brownies
For more recipes for pasta salads or sides to take to picnics, try these:
- Crunchy Vegetable Quinoa Salad
- How to Build the Perfect Pasta Salad
- Buffalo Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad
- Easy Broccoli Salad
- Creamy Homemade Guacamole and Chips
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Greek Pasta Salad
Simple and delicious Greek pasta salad with homemade Greek salad dressing. The perfect dish to bring to a pot luck, picnic or when you don’t want to spend all day cooking!
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Soup & Salad
- Method: Bowl
- Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients
- 12 oz favorite pasta (elbows, penne, wagon wheels, bow-ties, etc.)
- 1 cucumber – peeled, quartered lengthwise, seeds removed and chopped
- 1 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved or quartered if extra large
- 1 1/2 cup olives, halved (Kalamata taste best, but black olives will work too)
- 8 oz feta cheese
Greek Salad Dressing Recipe
- 1/3 cup and 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil,
- 3/4 tsp black pepper
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 tsp onion powder
- 3/4 tsp spicy brown mustard
- 1/2 cup and 2 tsp red wine vinegar (you can substitute up to half white vinegar without altering the taste)
Instructions
- Mix ingredients for dressing in a jar or bowl and set aside.
- In a large pot of boiling water, cook pasta until al dente. Drain and set aside to cool slightly.
- Combine chopped cucumber, tomato halves and olive halves in a large bowl with the prepared Greek Dressing. Add cooled pasta and stir to combine flavors well.
- Add feta cheese when the pasta is completely cooled. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- This dish can be made up to 24 hours in advance and stored in the refrigerator covered. Add cheese prior to serving.
Notes
* Tip: If you’re using Kalamata olives, reserve the liquid and use in place of the red wine vinegar for extra flavor.
Keywords: greek pasta salad
This looks so yummy! I just love pasta salads! Thanks so much for sharing at Mom On Timeout!
This looks great, it would be perfect for a picnic. The dressing sounds really good too. Thanks for sharing at Showcase Your Talent Thursday. I hope to see you at the next party!
Tiffany, This salad looks delicious! Thanks so much for linking up to Creative Thursday last week. I can’t wait to see what you link up this week. Have a wonderful day 🙂
Michelle
The salad looks heavenly!!
Thanks for sharing at The DIY Dreamer.. From Dream To Reality!
That sounds so tasty!! It looks so pretty too! I need to try this out! YUM!! Thanks so much for sharing with us at Thursday’s Temptation.
Jill
Hi Tiffany,
I just love your Greek Pasta Salad, it is a great Salad for summer. Hope you are having a great week end and thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday.
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen
Looks delish!! Thanks for linking up to the Pomp Party! Pinning to our Pomp Party board!
Thanks Belle!
Count me in. This looks delish. Thanks for sharing this week on BeColorful.
p
Yummy!! Looks delicious! 🙂
What a fun, fresh summer salad! YUM!
This looks yummy. I was just eating Kalamata olives out of a jar, but I love them in Greek pasta salad too.
Yum-E! I can’t wait to make that this summer. Thanks for sharing.
This looks delicious, especially the dressing. I’ve pinned it, and I’ll be making it for sure.
Wow! This looks yummy!
This looks delicious! Perfect for the summer!! Visiting you from Tip Junkie
Corie
www.thedatingdivas.com
Sounds refreshing and Yum!
It a WONDERFUL salad
Very popular in my country
Thanks so much for the recipe, especially the dressing
Oh yum! This looks heavenly!
Sounds delicious! And I totally want to try the Greek dressing recipe. Love making salad dressings, and Greek is a favorite.
That dressing has replaced our normal bottle dressing! It’s easy to make the seasonings and add liquid as needed for a fresh vinaigrette at dinner.