If you’re looking for The Best Greek Pasta Salad, you’ve come to the right place! This easy summer side is full of flavor and a total crowd-pleaser!
There’s one fail-safe dish that’s always a hit at a summer cookout, and that’s pasta salad. It seems like just yesterday that the sickly sweet may0-based macaroni salad was the only pasta salad we knew.
At least that’s how it was when I was a kid in the ’90s! Oh, how the times have changed. The Best Greek Pasta Salad that I’m sharing today is just one of the many recipes that I always have in rotation.
This weekend we had Norah’s second birthday party! I can’t even believe that she’s 2. It seriously feels like I was just typing my last blog post before giving birth. I’ll save you the sob story because there is actually a related point. This pasta salad was served at her party this weekend and it was such a hit!
Whenever I host a party, I try to cook food that appeals to everyone. I’m definitely a people pleaser and I’d hate for anyone to go hungry or thirsty. So, I buy sodas even though we don’t drink them and make basic dishes and unique dishes alike.
To my surprise, even the picky(ish) eaters raved about this pasta. The super picky ones didn’t even try it, obviously (I mean, olives? How dare I?). If you’re stumped on what to make for your next barbecue, give this recipe a try and check out more ideas on Pinterest.
Ingredients & Subs
- Short-cut pasta — Any short pasta will work! I like to do farfalle (bowties), elbow, shells, rotini, ditalini, or cavatappi. I love to find fun shapes at places like World Market, especially if I’m taking it to a party.
- Kalamata olives — These are my favorite flavor for this salad, but regular black olives would also be fine.
- Red onion — I’ve used green onion instead when I already had some on-hand and it worked great! If you find the flavor of red onion too much, you can soak it in ice water for 10 minutes or so to tone it down.
- Persian cucumbers — Persian cucumbers are small cucumbers with edible skin, often used for pickling. You can absolutely use an English cucumber, which also has an edible skin, or a traditional cucumber, which you’ll want to peel and de-seed. If using a bigger cucumber, you might want to dice.
- Cherry tomatoes — You can dice a regular tomato, but I would recommend de-seeding them and getting the juice out before dicing and adding to pasta salad. Sundried tomatoes are also a great flavor addition.
- Yellow bell pepper — Any bell pepper will do!
- Fresh dill — I LOVE fresh dill, but fresh parsley or basil will also be delicious.
- Capers — You can omit if needed.
1/4 cup sweet pickled peppers, chopped - Feta cheese — Crumbled or cubed is fine but I love to buy a brick and cube it myself.
How to store
This pasta salad is even better over the next day or two! Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days. When you go to eat it, you may need to add a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt, as the pasta may have absorbed more of the liquid and flavor than when you first made it.
If you plan on eating it over the course of a few days, you may want to make more of the vinaigrette just to be safe. Also, the vinaigrette is amazing on salads anyway, so you might as well make a double batch for the week!
Hot Tip
Try making your vinaigrette in a mason jar! Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a mason jar and shake thoroughly to combine. You may need to stir with a spoon to make sure nothing has settled on the bottom. Store fridge until ready to use. The dressing will last up to a week in the fridge.
More summer pasta recipes you’ll love!
Spring Pasta Salad with Basil Vinaigrette
Creamy Avocado and Street Corn Pasta Salad
I hope you enjoy this recipe! Take a browse around the site and please let me know if you make anything by leaving a comment and rating the recipe below. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions, concerns, or requests!
The Best Greek Salad
Ingredients
- 12 ounces short-cut pasta
- 1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved
- 1/3 cup red onion, diced
- 2 cups Persian cucumbers, halved and sliced
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup yellow bell pepper, diced
- 1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
- 2 tbsp capers
- 1/4 cup sweet pickled peppers, chopped
- 1/2 cup crumbled or cubed feta cheese
- *For the Vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 clove garlic, minced or grated
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
