Greek Pasta Salad (Ready in 20 Minutes)

This Greek Pasta Salad is a healthy, fulfilling salad packed with Greek flavors and crunchy vegetables. If you love salad as a meal, this easy 20-minute salad recipe is for you.

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A Greek Pasta Salad is a simple Mediterranean Diet salad full of summer flavors and rich in nutrients. If you are looking for something more filling than my Greek salad recipe, you can add pasta to it. Pasta makes this simple side dish into a fulfilling meal packed with all the nutrients that keep you full for hours.

Plus, depending on your dietary requirements, you can easily turn this pasta salad into a gluten-free or low-carb lunch. To do so, pick your favorite low-carb pasta or gluten-free pasta. I’ve listed several options below. But first, let’s see how you can bring this flavorsome Mediterranean salad to your table in less than 20 minutes.

Ingredients and Substitutions

All you need to make the salad are:

• Cooked Pasta – Choose medium-size pasta like fusilli, penne, ziti, or farfalle.
• English Cucumber – Peeled, deseeded, and cut into half-moon shapes with a 1/4-inch thickness.
• Cherry Tomatoes – Halved. Pick red and juicy tomatoes.
• Kalamata Olives or black olives
• Red Onion – sliced
• Green Bell Pepper – cut into 1-inch pieces.
• Feta Cheese – You can use full-fat or low-fat feta cheese, as you prefer. I like goat cheese feta for its firm texture that holds better when you toss the salad. However, sheep feta or cow feta also work well and turn the salad creamier.

How To Make Greek Pasta Salad

It’s so easy to make this pasta Greek salad that it deserves to be added to your weekly meal plan.

1. First, cook the pasta al-dente according to the packaging instruction.
2. Next, drain and rinse them under cold tap water. This prevents the pasta from sticking. Then let them cool down at room temperature.
3. Next, I like refrigerating my pasta for a few hours or overnight. A recent study showed that cooking starchy foods like pasta, potatoes, or rice and then letting them cool down changes their structure. It then increases resistant starches, a carbohydrate that the intestine can’t digest. Instead, it ferments in the guts and feeds good bacteria. Therefore, increasing resistant starches in food decreases their impact on blood sugar levels. So, if you have diabetes or simply want to enjoy pasta that won’t impact your carb cravings too much, just refrigerate them! Now, it’s time to cut all your veggies. Make sure they are fresh, crispy, and washed.
4. Peel and cut the English cucumbers in half lengthwise. Then, use a teaspoon to remove the center part with cucumber seeds.
5. Cut each cucumber half into 1/4-inch thick half-moons.
6. Place them in a large bowl with the cooked pasta.
7. Next, halve the cherry tomatoes and add them to the bowl. Then, deseed the bell pepper, cut it into 1-inch pieces, and add it to the salad.
8. Finally, add slices of onion, feta cubes, and whole kalamata olives.
9. Set aside while preparing the salad dressing.

Making Greek Salad Dressing

The best salad dressing for Greek salad is a red wine vinegar dressing. Here are the ingredients you need for the salad.

• Red Wine Vinegar or lemon juice
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Dried Oregano or dried parsley
• Garlic
• Dijon Mustard
• Pepper
• Salt
• Honey – optional add only if you like a sweet note to your salad dressing.

1. In a small bowl, add all the dressing ingredients and stir them to combine or put them in a small bottle and shake it. You have two options to serve this salad. If you aim to eat it in one meal, or within 2 days, adding the salad dressing to the salad as you make it is ok.
2. Toss to combine and serve with some of the toppings listed below. Adjust with salt and pepper individually in your plate.
3. You can also store the dressing in a small glass mason jar and drizzle 1 or 2 tablespoons on each salad bowl.
4. You can then add fresh avocado slices on top of your salad if you want.

This pasta salad is delicious with some toppings like:

• Fresh Basil
• Dried Rosemary or thyme
• Chili Flakes
• An extra drizzle of olive oil – try truffle olive oil or garlic olive oil for a boost of flavor.
• Extra crumbled feta

My Tips And Tricks

Making this salad is really easy, I’m sure you won’t have any issues. But these few tips can help you make it perfect every time!

• Cook The Pasta Al Dente: nobody wants mushy pasta in the salad. You’ll find that keeping them al-dente is the best for a flavorful salad.
• Refrigerate The Pasta: Once you have cooked the pasta, refrigerate them for a few hours.
• Leave The Salad In The Fridge Before Serving: This salad is delicious cold. Wrap it in plastic and store it for as little as 10 minutes in the fridge for the flavors to mix.

Storage Instructions

This seasoned Greek pasta salad lasts two days in the fridge in an airtight container. If the dressing is stored aside, you can keep the salad fresh for 3 to 4 days in a salad bowl filmed with plastic wrap.

Allergy Swaps

If you have some food allergies I listed some options for you below

• Low-Carb – You can find many low-carb pasta at the shop or online.
• Gluten-Free – The best gluten-free pasta varieties for this recipe are brown rice pasta, corn pasta, buckwheat pasta, or sorghum pasta.
• Dairy-Free – You can use dairy-free feta cheese or simply make the salad with no cheese.
• Low-FODMAP – Skip the onion and garlic.

Frequently Asked Questions

Find below my answers to your most frequent questions about this Greek pasta salad recipe.

More Salad Recipes

If you like this recipe, you’ll love these other healthy salad recipes: