Greek Pasta Salad with Feta (Printable)
Colorful Mediterranean pasta toss with feta, olives, and a zesty lemon-herb dressing. Perfect for warm-weather gatherings.
# What You Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 10 oz short pasta (penne, rotini, or fusilli)
→ Vegetables
02 - 1 English cucumber, diced
03 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
04 - 7 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
05 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
06 - 3.5 oz Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
→ Cheese & Herbs
07 - 5 oz feta cheese, cubed or crumbled
08 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
09 - 1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped (optional)
→ Dressing
10 - 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
11 - 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
12 - 1 tsp dried oregano
13 - 1 garlic clove, minced
14 - 1/2 tsp salt
15 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
16 - Zest of 1 lemon
# How To Make It:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain in a colander and rinse thoroughly under cold running water to halt cooking and cool the pasta completely.
02 - In a large salad bowl, toss together the cooled pasta, diced cucumber, red bell pepper, halved cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced red onion, and halved Kalamata olives.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, dried oregano, minced garlic, salt, freshly ground black pepper, and lemon zest until well emulsified.
04 - Pour the prepared dressing over the pasta and vegetable mixture. Toss gently but thoroughly to ensure everything is evenly coated.
05 - Gently fold in the crumbled or cubed feta cheese, chopped parsley, and dill if using, taking care not to break up the feta too much.
06 - Taste the salad and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld together.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- It comes together in the time it takes to boil pasta and chop a few vegetables, which is basically no time at all.
- The dressing doubles as a marinade for almost anything else, so keep that in your back pocket.
- It feeds a crowd without costing much and looks impressive sitting on any table.
02 -
- Rinsing the pasta is essential here because residual heat keeps cooking it and you want distinct bites, not a soft mess.
- Make it up to a day ahead but add the feta and herbs right before serving for the best texture and color.
03 -
- Zest the lemon before you juice it and you will never struggle with a slippery hard lemon again.
- Letting the salad rest in the fridge for that fifteen minutes is not optional since that is when the real flavor happens.