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Greek Pasta Salad

Greek pasta salad with penne or rotini tossed in a bright lemon-oregano dressing and loaded with cucumber, tomato, Kalamata olives, red onion, and feta. Rinsed pasta stays tender-crisp for a Mediterranean salad that chills well.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Chilling 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Greek
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pasta salad base
  • 1 lb penne or rotini pasta Use whole or tri-color if desired for extra visual variety.
  • 2 cup cherry tomatoes Halve them so they mix evenly through the pasta.
  • 1 large cucumber Dice for bite-sized crunch.
  • 1 cup Kalamata olives Pitted and halved.
  • 0.5 cup red onion Thinly sliced.
  • 8 oz feta cheese Crumbled; divide for mixing vs topping.
Lemon-oregano dressing
  • 0.25 cup olive oil Extra-virgin works best for flavor.
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice Fresh preferred.
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar Adds tang to balance the feta.
  • 2 clove garlic Minced.
  • 1 tbsp fresh oregano (or dried oregano) Use 1 tablespoon fresh or 1 teaspoon dried.
  • salt To taste.
  • pepper To taste.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Cook and rinse the pasta
  1. Cook the penne or rotini pasta according to package directions, then drain.
  2. Rinse the pasta with cold water to cool it quickly and prevent sticking.
Make the lemon-oregano dressing
  1. Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper until the dressing looks cohesive.
Assemble the Greek pasta salad
  1. Add pasta, halved cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber, halved Kalamata olives, and thinly sliced red onion to a large bowl.
  2. Crumble in most of the feta and reserve the rest for serving.
  3. Pour the lemon-oregano dressing over the salad and toss gently until everything is coated.
Chill and serve
  1. Refrigerate the salad for at least 2 hours to let the flavors meld.
  2. Top with the remaining feta right before serving.

Notes

Pro tip: Rinse the pasta thoroughly and chill the salad uncovered for the first 30 minutes, then cover—this helps keep pasta from turning soggy. Store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days; it can be frozen for up to 1 month, but texture may soften slightly. For a lighter option, use reduced-fat feta and swap half the olive oil for a mild olive-oil spray plus extra lemon juice.