Greek Pasta Salad

May 17, 2026

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This Greek pasta salad recipe is a go-to for cookouts, picnics, and straightforward lunches all summer time lengthy. It’s loaded with feta, olives, contemporary herbs, and a zippy lemon-oregano dressing!

Right here’s my go-to in relation to pasta salad: Greek pasta salad! As a recipe developer over the previous decade, I’ve made nearly each pasta salad recipe conceivable. And that is one my favourite (probably as a result of Mediterranean food regimen 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 like making this for picnics, cookouts, pitch-ins, barbecues, and even for wholesome lunches all through the week.

5 Star Reader Assessment

“This can be a great pasta salad. It’s excellent for summer season and I like bow tie pasta. Thanks!” -Odile

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 recognition within the 1980’s.

The most typical model of American pasta salad is Italian: the sort with olives, mozzarella and an Italian-style dressing. Greek pasta salad is once more completely 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: Minimize 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 the very best!
Crimson bell pepper: Diced small for colour and snap.
Shallot: Thinly sliced for a milder, sweeter chew than purple onion.
Recent parsley AND contemporary dill: Each, not either-or. The dill is what makes the Greek-inspired taste.
Kalamata olives: I feel they add simply the suitable pop to the flavour, however you’ll be able to omit if you happen to’re not an olive fan.
Feta cheese crumbles: This provides simply the suitable salty, hearty vibe.

For The Greek Dressing

The dressing for this Greek salad is fast and easy to combine up, utilizing lemon juice, purple 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 use a store-bought dressing if you happen to’re working low on time, however we propose the selfmade model if doable.

Use each dried oregano and dried dill. You is perhaps tempted to omit dried dill since there’s additionally contemporary within the salad, however it’s important to the flavour right here!
Substitute ½ cup bought Greek French dressing dressing if you happen to’re in a rush. Search for the highest quality dressing you’ll find: the flavour varies tremendously 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 utilize different pasta shapes too! We like how farfalle combines with the substances and the way in which this form soaks up the dressing. Take into account: 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 effectively in a Greek pasta salad recipe:

Bowties (farfalle): our favourite!
Spirals (fusilli)
Penne
Shells (conchiglie)
Orecchiette
Gemelli
Gigli

Make-Forward and Storage Suggestions

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 upfront 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 ultimate for making forward or wholesome lunches all through the week.
After refrigeration, be certain to refresh the flavors. Carry the salad to room temperature. Then stir in a drizzle of olive oil and a bit extra crumbled feta cheese. It’s possible you’ll 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. Should you don’t suppose you’ll eat all of it in 5 days, chances are you’ll wish to think about 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:

Summer season dinner, alongside grilled salmon, burgers, grilled rooster, or veggie kabobs
Summer season salad dinner, with watermelon feta salad, corn salad and cucumber salad
Wholesome lunch concept
Picnic meals concept
Cookout or pitch-in recipe

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.

Steadily Requested Questions

Can I take advantage of any kind of pasta for Greek pasta salad?

Whilst you can technically use any kind of pasta, quick pasta shapes like rotini, farfalle, or penne work greatest for Greek pasta salad as they maintain the dressing effectively and are straightforward to eat.

What sort of dressing is utilized in Greek pasta salad?

A traditional Greek French dressing is usually used for Greek pasta salad. It’s made with olive oil, purple wine vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper. You’ll be able to modify the quantity of every ingredient to your style.

Can I add different substances to my Greek pasta salad?

Completely! Whereas the traditional substances are scrumptious, you’ll be able to 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.

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