What’s not to love about a 25-minute Greek pasta salad loaded with fresh veggies, Kalamata olives, feta, and a quick lemony dressing? There’s no going wrong with this make-ahead side dish or main course for your next summer party, picnic, or potluck!
Greek Pasta Salad Recipe
There’s almost nothing more summery than a refreshing pasta salad. What’s especially awesome about this pasta salad is that you can make it ahead AND make it in just 25 minutes. Plus it’s quite healthy (which is a major plus when you’re at a party sipping beers, eating hot dogs, chips, dips, and shoving desserts in your mouth like me).
Get all the flavors of a Greek Salad, packed with classic vegetables like tomatoes and cukes, along with kalamata olives, feta, and pepperoncini, lovingly tossed in a light lemony dressing. This Greek pasta salad is picnic potluck certified: my go-to summer party dish! Loving pasta salads? Try out my Tuna Pasta Salad that’s mayo-free and marvelous!
Ingredients
What do you need to make Greek pasta salad? Here’s a list:
- Fusilli pasta – Fusilli translates to “little spindle” in English. Its corkscrew-like shape is great for pasta salad! Rotini is similar if you can’t find fusilli.
- Cherry tomatoes – cherry tomatoes add bursts of sweet tartness and pops of color.
- English cucumber – crunch, crunch, crunch! English cucumbers are extra crunchy with thin skin and smaller seeds than your standard American cuke.
- Red onion – for a pop of purple and oniony crunch, thinly sliced red onions are the perfect match!
- Pitted kalamata olives – you can’t have a Greek pasta salad without kalamata olives! To save time, look for pitted, halved kalamatas.
- Sliced pepperoncini – pepperoncini peppers are similar to banana peppers. They’re vinegary and a little spicy, another classic Mediterranean ingredient!
- Crumbled feta – and the best part…feta cheese! I like to get mine pre-crumbled to save time.
- Extra virgin olive oil – olive oil is the base for a quick but flavor-packed dressing. Look for Greek extra virgin olive oil for the most fab flavor.
- Lemon – find a big juicy lemon, and squeeze it right on in there to brighten things up.
- Garlic – you really can’t go wrong with garlic in dressing.
- Fresh oregano – this pasta salad gets even better with a small handful of fresh oregano leaves. If you can’t find fresh oregano, chopped basil is great!
Variations
Just like most pasta salad recipes, you can change things up pretty easily to make your Greek pasta salad just how you want it. While you probably want to keep most of the main Greek salad components, here are a few variations to make it your own:
- Different pasta: try other short pasta shapes like farfalle, gemelli, cavatappi, or orecchiette.
- Other veggies: subtract or add veggies like bell pepper slices, Sautéed Broccoli, marinated mushrooms or artichokes.
- Add nuts or avocado: pine nuts or pistachios would be delicious!
- Add a protein: chickpeas, Lemon Pepper Chicken, or Poached Salmon anyone?
- Use bottled Greek dressing: have a favorite bottled Greek dressing? Use it!
How to Make Greek Pasta Salad
Let’s make this Greek pasta salad recipe that’s easy yet packed with all of those classic Greek flavors! Full instructions in the recipe card; this is an outline.
- Assemble.
In a big bowl, add the tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, olives, pepperoncini, and feta.
- Boil.
Cook pasta according to package instructions.
- Rinse.
In a colander, drain pasta and rinse thoroughly under cold water. This helps release excess starch, and cools the pasta down. Drain well.
- Add.
Add pasta to the large bowl.
- Whisk.
In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and salt and pepper.
- Combine.
Add dressing to the large bowl, and oregano if serving right away. Toss well.
Make Ahead and Storage
You can absolutely make this Greek pasta salad ahead! In fact, I think it tastes the best made a day ahead! Regardless, it keeps well for 2-3 days. Add the oregano last-minute for maximum freshness. Make sure to store pasta salad, covered, in the fridge.
Serve it chilled or at room temperature for up to 2 hours. I don’t recommend freezing pasta salad.
More Picnic Recipes You’ll Love!
Easy Greek Pasta Salad
Equipment
- Colander
Ingredients
- 1 pound fusilli pasta, or rotini
- 12 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 English cucumber, cut into quarters
- ½ small red onion, quartered and thinly sliced
- 1 cup pitted kalamata olives, drained and halved
- 1 cup sliced pepperoncini, drained
- 8 ounces crumbled feta
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 juicy lemon, juiced
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- Small handful fresh oregano leaves, or chopped basil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add the tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, olives, pepperoncini, and feta.
- Cook pasta according to package instructions, until al dente.
- In a colander, drain pasta and rinse thoroughly under cold water. This helps release excess starch (which causes clumping), and also cools the pasta down. Drain well and shake off water.
- Add pasta to the large bowl.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and salt and pepper.
- Add dressing to the large bowl, and oregano if serving right away. Toss well. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Want to add a protein? Try Baked Chicken Breast, Grilled Chicken Thighs, shrimp or Crispy Roasted Chickpeas.
- I like to use a mandoline to thinly slice the onion if you have one.
- If making ahead, cover and chill in the refrigerator, adding oregano and re-tossing right before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I love Greek salad, so when I saw this recipe it immediately piqued my interest. I made the recipe and it is spectacularly delicious – a lemony, briny concoction that makes a perfect dinner salad for summer nights and an equally perfect summer lunch with leftovers.
The proportions were just right, and I would not change a thing. Yummy!!!
I love Greek pasta salad leftovers too…the best! Proportions are key, and I’m glad you thought they were perfect!
Grace
I made this pasta salad for my family for dinner, and they all loved it including my kids! It is a perfect dinner for a warm late Spring night. Flavors are all great! I can’t wait to make it with farm fresh tomatoes and cucumbers. Thank you for another recipe I can have as a go-to this summer.
I’m so happy the kiddos liked it too! Summer tomatoes and cukes sound perfect. Cheers!
Grace
This recipe is so good!
It’s awesome right?! Thanks for your review!
Grace