Easy Greek Pasta Salad
This easy Greek pasta salad combines tender pasta with crisp cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, briny olives, and creamy feta cheese, tossed in a tangy homemade vinaigrette. It’s light, refreshing, and perfect for summer lunches, picnics, or make-ahead sides.
If you’ve enjoyed my Mediterranean pasta salad or summer pasta salad, you’ll love this Greek-inspired version too.
It has all the classic Greek salad ingredients: tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, olives, and feta. Adding pasta makes it into a more filling dish, while the vinaigrette keeps it fresh and flavorful.
I like to serve this pasta salad with warm pita bread, and sometimes I add grilled chicken or shrimp for a complete lunch or dinner.
Recipe Highlights
- Quick and easy: Ready in 20 minutes with simple ingredients.
- Versatile: Swap ingredients or add extra vegetables and proteins.
- Perfect for warm weather: The only thing you need to cook is the pasta, ideal for days when you don’t want to turn on the oven.
- Make-ahead friendly: Prepare the components in advance and toss before serving.
Ingredients & Easy Swaps
- Pasta: I like fusilli, but rotini, penne, farfalle (bowties), or any short pasta works. Gluten-free options can be used if needed.
- Tomatoes: Cherry or grape tomatoes are sweet and juicy.
- Cucumber: Persian or English cucumbers have smooth, thin skin and don’t need peeling.
- Olives: Kalamata olives give that classic briny taste. Black olives are a good substitute.
- Bell pepper: Use any color. Green is classic, while red or yellow adds a little sweetness.
- Feta cheese: Crumbled or cubed. Goat cheese is a nice alternative.
- Red onion: Thinly sliced. Soak in cold salted water for 10 minutes to reduce sharpness.
See the recipe card below for a detailed ingredient list and step-by-step instructions.
Homemade Greek Salad Dressing
You can use store-bought Greek dressing if you’re short on time; it still tastes great. But if you have a minute, this easy homemade vinaigrette is bright and tangy and really brings the salad together.
Whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, dried oregano, salt, and pepper. Or, shake everything in a jar. Make it just before serving, or keep it in the fridge for up to a week.
How to Make Greek Pasta Salad
- Cook the pasta: Boil the pasta in salted water, then drain and rinse under cold water. Toss with a little olive oil.
- Prepare the pasta salad ingredients: While the pasta cools, slice the onion, cucumbers, tomatoes, and bell pepper. Crumble or cube the feta cheese.
- Make the dressing: Whisk or shake all dressing ingredients in a jar or bowl.
- Assemble: Combine everything in a large bowl. Add the dressing and toss. Chill before serving for best flavor.
Recipe Variations
- Pasta alternatives: Try tortellini, orzo, couscous, or quinoa.
- Extra veggies: Mix in artichoke hearts, baby spinach, corn, asparagus, zucchini, or avocado.
- Add protein: Make it more filling with grilled chicken, shrimp, canned tuna, or sliced steak. For a vegetarian option, go with chickpeas, white beans, or marinated tofu.
- Fresh herbs: Stir in some chopped basil, parsley, oregano, or thyme.
- Make it vegan: Skip the feta or use a plant-based substitute.
- Make it gluten-free: Use a gluten-free pasta.
Elena’s Tips
- Pick the right shape: Short pasta with nooks and crannies (like fusilli, rotini, or penne) holds the dressing and mix-ins well. Avoid long, thin types or fresh pasta, which can fall apart.
- Salt the water: A good rule of thumb is to use 1 liter (4 cups) of water with 10 grams (1½ teaspoons) of salt for every 100 grams (3.5 oz) of dry pasta. Bring to a rolling boil before adding the pasta.
- Cook al dente: Pasta should be tender but still firm so it doesn’t get mushy.
- Cool completely: Let the pasta cool fully before mixing to keep the veggies crisp.
- Chill before serving: Refrigerate for 30 minutes to let the flavors come together.
How to Store & Make Ahead
Leftovers: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Add a little extra dressing before serving if it looks dry.
Make-ahead: Cook the pasta, chop the vegetables, and mix the dressing up to a day ahead. Keep them in separate containers in the fridge, then combine about 30 minutes before serving for the best flavor.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. Rinsing stops the cooking process and removes excess starch, which keeps the pasta from sticking as it cools.
It’s usually served cold, but you can serve it slightly warm if you prefer.
Freezing isn’t recommended. The pasta turns mushy and the flavors don’t hold up once thawed.
More Summer Salads
- Mexican Corn Salad
- Mediterranean Farro Salad
- Grilled Chicken Salad with Nectarines
- Traditional Fattoush Salad
If you’ve made this easy Greek pasta salad, leave a comment and rating below. I’d love to know how it turned out for you.
How To Make It: Easy Greek Pasta Salad
Ingredients
For the pasta salad
- ½ lb (230 g) dry pasta I used fusilli
- a drizzle of olive oil to toss the pasta
- 1 cup (150 g) grape or cherry tomatoes sliced into halves or quarters
- 1 cup (120 g) sliced Persian cucumbers
- 1 green bell pepper seeds and ribs removed, chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 1 small red onion thinly sliced then rinsed to remove harsh bite
- ⅓ cup (65 g) pitted Kalamata olives
- 3 oz (85 g) feta cheese crumbled or cut into ½-inch cubes
For the Greek vinaigrette:
- ¼ cup (55 ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 garlic clove minced
- ½ lemon juiced
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano more for sprinkling
- ¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Cook the pasta
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions.Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process. Then, toss with a little olive oil to prevent sticking and set aside to cool.
Prepare the dressing and veggies
- While the pasta cooks, slice the red onion, cucumber, and green bell pepper. Halve the cherry tomatoes and crumble or cube the feta cheese. In a mason jar, combine all the dressing ingredients. Shake well and refrigerate until ready to use.
Combine everything
- In a large bowl, toss the cooled pasta with the veggies and feta. Drizzle with the dressing and mix to combine. Sprinkle with oregano and serve right away, or chill for at least 30 minutes for the best flavor.
Notes
- Nutrition: One serving is about 200 grams (1 cup).
- Pasta: Use any short shape, or swap in tortellini, orzo, quinoa, or couscous.
- Red onion: Soak in cold salted water for 10 minutes to reduce sharpness.
- Make it vegan: Skip the feta or use a dairy-free substitute.
- Make it gluten-free: Choose a gluten-free pasta.
- Add protein: For a heartier salad, mix in rotisserie chicken, grilled shrimp, tuna, sliced steak, firm tofu, chickpeas, black beans, or kidney beans.
- Leftovers: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Stir in a little extra dressing before serving if it looks dry.
- Make-ahead: Cook the pasta, chop the vegetables, and prepare the dressing up to 1 day in advance. Store separately in the fridge and combine 30 minutes before serving.
I love this Greek pasta salad! Thank you!
ricetta che mi fa venire voglia di provarla, grazie per la condivisione!
I have mare this salad several times. It is the best one I have ever tried. I shared with a lot of my friends and family… It is so simple, yet so tasty. Thank you for sharing!!!
Thank you for the feedback, Carolina! Glad your family and friends loved this recipe!