Greek Pasta Salad with Feta (Printable)
Colorful Mediterranean pasta toss with feta, olives, and a zesty lemon-herb dressing.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 10 oz short pasta (penne, rotini, or fusilli)
→ Vegetables
02 - 1 English cucumber, diced
03 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
04 - 7 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
05 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
06 - 3.5 oz Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
→ Cheese & Herbs
07 - 5 oz feta cheese, cubed or crumbled
08 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
09 - 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped (optional)
→ Dressing
10 - 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
11 - 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
12 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
13 - 1 garlic clove, minced
14 - ½ teaspoon salt
15 - ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
16 - Zest of 1 lemon
# How To Make It:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the short pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain through a colander and rinse thoroughly under cold running water to halt cooking and cool the pasta completely.
02 - In a large salad bowl, toss together the cooled pasta, diced cucumber, diced red bell pepper, halved cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced red onion, and halved Kalamata olives until evenly distributed.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, dried oregano, minced garlic, salt, freshly ground black pepper, and lemon zest until the dressing is emulsified and well blended.
04 - Pour the prepared dressing over the pasta and vegetable mixture. Toss thoroughly, ensuring every component is evenly coated with the vinaigrette.
05 - Gently fold in the crumbled or cubed feta cheese, chopped fresh parsley, and dill if using, taking care not to break up the feta too aggressively.
06 - Taste the salad and adjust the salt, pepper, or vinegar as needed. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld together.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The dressing doubles as a marinade for grilled vegetables, so you will want to make extra and keep a jar in the fridge at all times.
- It holds up beautifully at room temperature, which means no stressed scrambling to keep things cold at your next potluck.
02 -
- Rinsing the pasta is essential here because residual heat continues cooking it and melts the feta into an unappetizing puddle.
- Adding the feta last and folding gently keeps those satisfying little cubes intact rather than creating a gritty cheese paste.
03 -
- Salt your pasta water until it tastes like mild seawater, because this is your one real chance to season the noodles themselves.
- Use a microplane to zest the lemon directly over the dressing bowl so the aromatic oils spray right where you need them.