Greek Pasta Salad with Feta (Printable Version)
Colorful Mediterranean pasta toss with feta, olives, and a zesty lemon-herb dressing. Ready in 30 minutes.
# 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
# Directions:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook 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 until evenly distributed.
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 the dressing is emulsified and well blended.
04 - Pour the prepared dressing over the pasta and vegetable mixture. Toss thoroughly, ensuring every component is evenly coated with the vinaigrette.
05 - Gently fold in the crumbled or cubed feta cheese, chopped parsley, and dill if using, taking care not to break apart the feta cubes.
06 - Taste the salad and adjust the salt and pepper as needed. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld together.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The lemon zest in the dressing is the kind of thing nobody expects but everyone notices, and it makes this taste like something from a restaurant rather than a backyard potluck.
- It actually gets better as it sits, which means you can stop worrying about timing and just enjoy whatever gathering you brought it to.
02 -
- Rinsing the pasta is essential here because leftover heat continues cooking it and you end up with mushy salad, which is a lesson I learned the hard way at a picnic where my pasta disintegrated into sadness.
- Making this a day ahead actually improves it dramatically, as the dressing penetrates the pasta and vegetables overnight and transforms everything into something deeply flavored and cohesive.
03 -
- Soak the sliced red onion in ice water for ten minutes while you prep everything else, and it loses the harsh bite while keeping the crunch and color.
- Reserve a tablespoon of the pasta cooking water before draining, then add it to the dressing for a slight starchiness that helps everything cling together beautifully.