Greek Pasta Salad Mediterranean Style (Printable)

Fresh Mediterranean pasta with crisp vegetables, feta, and zesty dressing ready in 30 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 8 oz short pasta (penne, fusilli, or farfalle)

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 medium cucumber, diced
03 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
04 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
05 - 1 green bell pepper, diced
06 - 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved

→ Cheese

07 - 5 oz feta cheese, cubed or crumbled

→ Dressing

08 - 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
09 - 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
10 - 1 garlic clove, finely minced
11 - 1 tsp dried oregano
12 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Herbs & Garnish

13 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley or dill, chopped (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain thoroughly and rinse under cold running water to stop cooking and cool the pasta. Set aside.
02 - While pasta cooks, dice the cucumber, halve the cherry tomatoes, thinly slice the red onion, dice the green bell pepper, and halve the Kalamata olives. Combine all prepared vegetables in a large salad bowl.
03 - Add the cooled, drained pasta to the bowl with the mixed vegetables. Toss gently to distribute ingredients evenly.
04 - In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the extra-virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper until emulsified.
05 - Pour the prepared dressing over the pasta and vegetable mixture. Toss thoroughly to coat all ingredients evenly with the dressing.
06 - Gently fold in the feta cheese and fresh parsley or dill if using, taking care not to break up the cheese too much.
07 - Refrigerate the salad for at least 15 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

# Cooking Tips:

01 -
  • The pasta actually gets better as it sits soaking up that zesty dressing
  • Everything comes together in under 30 minutes with zero cooking skills required
  • Its that magical dish that works for picnics potlucks or lazy weeknight dinners
02 -
  • Rinsing the pasta with cold water is non negotiable unless you want gummy clumped noodles
  • The salad needs at least 15 minutes in the fridge to let the dressing really work its way into everything
  • Wait to add the feta until after youve tossed with the dressing so it does not break apart completely
03 -
  • Cut all your vegetables slightly larger than the pasta for the perfect forkful ratio
  • Sprinkle a little extra oregano over the top right before serving for a fresh aromatic hit

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