Greek Pasta Salad Mediterranean (Printable Version)

Colorful Mediterranean salad with pasta, fresh vegetables, feta cheese, and homemade Greek dressing.

# What You 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

# Directions:

01 - Cook pasta in salted boiling water according to package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop cooking; set aside.
02 - In a large salad bowl, combine diced cucumber, halved cherry tomatoes, sliced red onion, diced green bell pepper, and halved olives.
03 - Add cooled pasta to the bowl with the prepared vegetables and toss gently to mix.
04 - Whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, dried oregano, salt, and pepper in a small bowl or jar until emulsified.
05 - Pour dressing over pasta and vegetables. Toss thoroughly to coat all ingredients evenly.
06 - Gently fold in crumbled feta cheese and chopped fresh herbs (if using) to maintain texture.
07 - Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes to meld flavors. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It gets better as it sits so leftovers taste even more amazing the next day
  • The dressing doubles as a marinade so every single bite is perfectly seasoned
02 -
  • Rinsing pasta with cold water is not optional it stops cooking and washes away starch so the salad doesnt get gummy
  • The salad needs at least 15 minutes of chilling time or the flavors wont have married yet
03 -
  • Taste before salting since feta and olives are already quite salty
  • Make the dressing in a jar and shake it for the best emulsification

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