Greek pasta salad is our go-to recipe for summer backyard BBQ or picnic potluck salad. It’s light, fresh, easy to make, and a healthy summer salad. With simple Greek salad dressing drizzled on it to lift the flavors.
Pasta salads are great for a light lunch when you want to eat something light, but hearty like Israeli couscous salad or try this flavor-packed pesto pasta salad.

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Why should you try this recipe?
- This cold pasta salad is perfect for summer BBQ backyard parties, potluck, and picnics.
- It is healthy, fresh, and has perfect seasoning.
- Easy to customize and make it your own. Add any summer vegetables of your choice, including herbs if you like.
- Upgrade this pasta salad with simple Greek salad dressing.
Ingredients
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Start by boiling a large pot of water. Once the water starts boiling add salt and cook pasta in boiling water.
Step 2: Cook until pasta is al-dente. Drain pasta and set aside.
Step 3: Whisk the dressing ingredients – Red wine vinegar, olive oil, Garlic, oregano, and lemon juice in a jar.
Step 4: All all salad ingredients to a large bowl
Step 5: Pour salad dressing and toss the salad.
Useful tips
- Pastas small in shapes works best, like penne, farfalle, fusilli, tortellini or Orzo. Orzo Greek pasta salad is another delicious that you’ll love.
- Use fresh vegetables for the best taste.
- Do not use pre-crumbled feta. Buy good quality block feta and crumble or cut it just when you want to use it.
- If you want to make the salad ahead and store it, make sure to finish this pasta salad within 4 days. Feta cheese will begin to taste weird when stored for longer even refrigerator.
Recipe FAQs
Pastas small in shapes works best, like penne, farfalle, fusilli, tortellini or Orzo.
A simple vinaigrette dressing has extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, and herbs like oregano or basil.
Yes, you absolutely can. Cold pasta salads are best during summer and it tastes great for days. It is a great meal prep dish.
Pack it as meal prep – mix all the pasta salad ingredients and portion them out into meal prep boxes. Store the dressing in small containers separately and store in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. I would like to finish this pasta salad Greek within 4 days cause of the Feta.
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📋Easy Greek Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 8 oz fusilli bucati pasta or rotini, farfalle, penne
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 English cucumber cut into half slices
- 1 red onion sliced
- 1 cup FETA cheese (use good quality cheese) cut into cubes or crumbled
- ½ cup Kalamata olives pitted and halved
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper or to taste
For red wine vinaigrette
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- ⅔ cup extra virgin olive oil use good quality oil
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh oregano (or) 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
Cook pasta –
- fill a large pot with water seasoned with little salt and bring it to boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the penne, and return to the boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 9 ½ minutes (for bucati). Drain pasta and let it cool. (DO NOT OVER COOK PASTA)
Prep vegetables –
- while pasta cooks chop all vegetables.
- Whisk together the red wine vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano. Set aside.
- Combine pasta, onions, tomatoes, cucumber, olives and feta cheese in a large bowl. Pour vinaigrette over the pasta and mix together. Cover and chill for 3 hours before serving.
Video
Notes
- Pastas small in shapes works best, like penne, farfalle, fusilli, tortellini or Orzo. Orzo Greek pasta salad is another delicious that you’ll love.
- Use fresh vegetables for the best taste.
- Do not use pre-crumbled feta. Buy good quality block feta and crumble or cut it just when you want to use it.
- If you want to make the salad ahead and store it, make sure to finish this pasta salad within 4 days. Feta cheese will begin to taste weird when stored for longer even refrigerator.
Nutrition
Created by Jyothi Rajesh
Thank you for stopping by.
I’m Jyothi Rajesh (Jo for short) and i’m the founder of the food blog, Curry Trail where I share my culinary Adventures. I live in Bangalore, India. I’m a mom of two beautiful kids. My passion is creating and sharing delicious and easy recipes for the home cook. I have been blogging since 2007 and many of my recipes have appeared in both online and print publications over the years. Learn more about Jyothi Rajesh.
Comments & Reviews
Leslie says
I LOVE a good pasta salad recipe! I love that you used feta cheese in this!, my FAV!!!
jyothirajesh says
Glad you liked it. feta in pasta salad is must for me 🙂 Thank you Leslie.
Cheese Curd In Paradise says
I love pasta salad in the summer time. Your dressing sounds so good and so refreshing! I love the combo of feta and olives with the pasta and dressing!
jyothirajesh says
Thank you