This Greek pasta salad recipe is a go-to for cookouts, picnics, and straightforward lunches all summer season lengthy. It’s loaded with feta, olives, contemporary herbs, and a zippy lemon-oregano dressing!
Right here’s my go-to in terms of pasta salad: Greek pasta salad! As a recipe developer over the previous decade, I’ve made nearly each pasta salad recipe possible. And that is one my favourite (probably as a result of Mediterranean weight-reduction plan recipes are my specialty!).
recipe stars Mediterranean-style flavors with chewy bowtie pasta: juicy cherry tomatoes, cool cucumber, salty olives, and savory feta, handfuls of contemporary parsley and dill, plus a Greek-style French dressing dressing. I really like making this for picnics, cookouts, pitch-ins, barbecues, and even for wholesome lunches all through the week.
Components in Greek Pasta Salad
The idea of pasta salad is an American invention, as you may guess! One of many first mentions in print is a macaroni salad recipe revealed in 1914, although the idea got here to full reputation within the 1980’s.
The most typical fashion of American pasta salad is Italian: the type with olives, mozzarella and an Italian-style dressing. Greek pasta salad is once more totally American, however options Greek-style flavors like tomatoes, cucumber, olives, feta cheese and dill. Listed here are the substances you’ll want for a Greek pasta salad recipe:
- Bowtie pasta (farfalle): My favourite form for this salad: the little ruffles catch the dressing and are enjoyable to eat.
- Cherry tomatoes: Lower in half so each chew will get a juicy burst.
- English cucumber: Use an English cucumber and there’s no have to peel or seed: I additionally suppose they style one of the best!
- Crimson bell pepper: Diced small for colour and snap.
- Shallot: Thinly sliced for a milder, sweeter chew than pink onion.
- Contemporary parsley AND contemporary dill: Each, not either-or. The dill is what makes the Greek-inspired taste.
- Kalamata olives: I believe they add simply the correct pop to the flavour, however you possibly can omit for those who’re not an olive fan.
- Feta cheese crumbles: This provides simply the correct salty, hearty vibe.

For The Greek Dressing
The dressing for this Greek salad is fast and easy to combine up, utilizing lemon juice, pink wine vinegar, dried herbs and olive oil. It’s a smaller amount than for a lot of pasta salads, however the taste actually pops! You should utilize a store-bought dressing for those who’re operating low on time, however we propose the selfmade model if attainable.
- Use each dried oregano and dried dill. You may be tempted to omit dried dill since there’s additionally contemporary within the salad, but it surely’s important to the flavour right here!
- Substitute ½ cup bought Greek French dressing dressing for those who’re in a rush. Search for the highest quality dressing yow will discover: the flavour varies vastly primarily based on model. Paying just a few additional {dollars} is price it for taste.

The Finest Pasta Form
This Greek pasta salad is good with bowtie pasta or farfalle, however you should use different pasta shapes too! We like how farfalle combines with the substances and the best way this form soaks up the dressing. Bear in mind: the floor space of every pasta form is totally different. In our testing, we discovered that 1 pound of bowties looks like much less amount of pasta than 1 pound of spirals. That stated: listed below are just a few pasta shapes that work nicely in a Greek pasta salad recipe:
- Bowties (farfalle): our favourite!
- Spirals (fusilli)
- Penne
- Shells (conchiglie)
- Orecchiette
- Gemelli
- Gigli
Make-Forward and Storage Ideas
This Greek pasta salad is good for making forward for a cookout or barbecue. In actual fact, we’ve made it as much as 2 days prematurely of a celebration and refrigerated till serving. Right here’s what to learn about this salad:
- Greek pasta salad lasts for as much as 5 days within the fridge. It’s preferrred for making forward or wholesome lunches all through the week.
- After refrigeration, be certain that to refresh the flavors. Deliver the salad to room temperature. Then stir in a drizzle of olive oil and a bit extra crumbled feta cheese. You might or might not want an additional pinch of salt.

Tip on Serving Measurement
This Greek pasta salad makes a giant batch: 10 to 12 aspect dish servings or about 8 lunch-sized servings. It lasts for five days refrigerated. If you happen to don’t suppose you’ll eat all of it in 5 days, it’s possible you’ll need to contemplate making a half batch. It’s straightforward to make half!
What to Serve with Greek Pasta Salad
This recipe goes with absolutely anything: particularly in the summertime! Listed here are just a few concepts for what to serve with pasta salad:
Dietary Notes
This Greek pasta salad recipe is vegetarian and gluten-free. For vegan, plant-based and dairy-free, omit the feta and add extra salt to style.
Often Requested Questions
When you can technically use any kind of pasta, brief pasta shapes like rotini, farfalle, or penne work finest for Greek pasta salad as they maintain the dressing nicely and are straightforward to eat.
A traditional Greek French dressing is usually used for Greek pasta salad. It’s made with olive oil, pink wine vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper. You’ll be able to alter the quantity of every ingredient to your style.
Completely! Whereas the traditional substances are scrumptious, you possibly can customise your Greek pasta salad with different additions like chickpeas, grilled rooster or shrimp, artichoke hearts, pepperoncini peppers, or contemporary herbs like parsley or dill.
Greek Pasta Salad
This Greek pasta salad recipe is a go-to for cookouts, picnics, and straightforward lunches all summer season lengthy. It’s loaded with feta, olives, contemporary herbs, and a zippy lemon-oregano dressing!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Prepare dinner Time: 10 minutes
- Whole Time: half-hour
- Yield: 10 to 12 aspect dish servings 1x
- Class: Aspect Dish
- Methodology: Stovetop
- Delicacies: American
- Weight loss program: Vegetarian
- 1 pound bowtie pasta (farfalle)
- 1/2 English cucumber, thinly sliced into half moons (2 cups)
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- 1 pink bell pepper, diced
- 1 massive shallot, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup chopped contemporary dill
- ¼ cup chopped contemporary parsley
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice, plus zest of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons pink wine vinegar
- 1 garlic clove, grated (or ½ teaspoon garlic powder)
- 1 teaspoon every dried oregano and dried dill
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¾ cup Kalamata olives, sliced in half (optionally available)
- 1 cup feta cheese crumbles
- Contemporary floor black pepper, to style
- Begin a big pot of well-salted water to boil. Boil the pasta till al dente in keeping with the bundle directions. Drain the pasta and run cool water over it till it’s room temperature.
- In the meantime, slice the cucumber and tomatoes, cube the bell pepper and thinly slice the shallot. Chop the contemporary herbs.
- In a big bowl, whisk collectively the lemon zest, lemon juice, pink wine vinegar, garlic, oregano, dill, and kosher salt. Then whisk within the olive oil.
- As soon as the pasta is finished, add it to the big bowl of dressing and toss with the chopped greens. Add the olives, feta cheese and contemporary floor black pepper and stir to mix. Style and add extra salt to style if crucial. Serve instantly. Shops as much as 5 days refrigerated (leftovers style nice; permit to return to room temperature and add a swirl extra olive oil or a bit extra cheese or salt as crucial).
Extra Summer time Salad Recipes
Salads are king in the summertime! Listed here are just a few extra nice pasta salad recipes and summer season salads to take pleasure in:
