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Mediterranean Chicken Pasta Salad

Mediterranean pasta salad with grilled chicken, feta, olives, tomatoes, and cucumbers tossed in a lemon-herb dressing. This chicken pasta salad is ideal for meal prep, served cold with a bright, tangy finish.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
chilling 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Calories: 610
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Penne pasta
  • 1 lb penne pasta
Chicken
  • 2 cup grilled chicken breast, sliced
Vegetables and olives
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 cup cucumber, diced
  • 0.5 cup Kalamata olives, sliced
  • 0.5 cup red onion, diced
Cheese
  • 6 oz feta cheese, crumbled
Lemon-herb dressing
  • 0.25 cup olive oil
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried)
  • 0.5 salt and pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Cook and cool the pasta
  1. Cook penne pasta according to package directions until al dente, then drain and rinse with cold water so it cools quickly and stays firm.
Make the lemon-herb dressing
  1. Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper together until the dressing looks evenly combined and glossy.
Assemble the salad
  1. Combine pasta, chicken, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, Kalamata olives, and red onion in a large bowl for even distribution.
Dress and finish
  1. Pour dressing over the salad and toss to combine, coating everything lightly without crushing the vegetables.
Add feta
  1. Gently fold in feta cheese so it stays in soft crumbles and doesn’t fully melt into the pasta.
Chill
  1. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving so flavors meld and the salad is fully chilled.

Notes

For best texture, rinse the pasta in cold water until cool, then drain well before mixing—this prevents a watery salad. Store in the refrigerator up to 4 days in an airtight container (freeze not recommended because cucumbers and feta can change texture). To make it dairy-light, use half the feta or swap with a low-fat feta style for a similar salty tang.