This Greek Pasta Salad is fresh, colorful, and full of flavor! Everything gets tossed in a bright, homemade Greek dressing that ties it all together.
It’s quick and very easy to make, perfect for prepping ahead, and always a hit at backyard summer BBQs or gatherings.
Summer means it’s grilling season, and no cookout is complete without a great pasta side dish! This Greek Pasta Salad is a family favorite, and has all the fresh and bold flavors of a classic Greek salad.
This Greek pasta salad comes together beautifully with a version of our Greek salad dressing, which adds the perfect balance of sweet, savory and tangy. You can even make it a full meal by adding Lemon Grilled Chicken or Greek Meatballs!
If you love Greek-inspired food as much as I do, check out our Greek Feta Turkey Burgers and Greek Lemon Chicken and Potatoes. If you have an outdoor pizza oven, try my Greek Style Pizza this summer!
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Why I Love This Recipe
- So fresh and crunchy! This colorful salad is loaded with crisp veggies.
- Make it ahead. The flavors get even better the next day! Ready in just 30 minutes or less.
- Simple and quick. The only thing you need to cook is the pasta.
- Customizable. Substitute with your favorite veggies or add protein.
Ingredient Notes
You only need a few ingredients to make this easy Greek pasta salad. Here, I included a few notes from recipe testing, along with substitutions.
- Pasta: Use short pasta shapes, such as rotini. Other similar options are farfalle or bowties, fusilli, or penne. Or try it with orzo!
- Cucumbers and green bell peppers: Both add an incredible crunch and a pop of green.
- Cherry tomatoes: Halved. They are juicy and add some sweetness. Diced roma tomatoes will work too.
- Kalamata olives (pitted): These Greek olives add a briny and savory element. Try not to use black olives, they don’t taste quite the same.
- Red onions: Adds a sharp and zesty bite. You can soak in water for 15 minutes to make it taste a bit milder.
- Feta cheese: Crumbled or cubed. It’s savory, creamy, and briny.
- Fresh Italian parsley and dill: These are our fresh herbs!
- Canned chickpeas: This ingredient is optional, but highly recommended! They add a tender bite. Drained and rinsed.
- For the homemade Greek dressing: Extra virgin olive oil, juice of lemon, red wine vinegar, dried oregano, pressed garlic clove, salt and pepper.
Quantities can be found in the recipe card down below.
How to Make Greek Pasta Salad
Let me show you how to make this easy Greek pasta salad, along with some helpful tips!
Step 1: Cook pasta in generously salted water until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.
Step 2: Whisk all dressing ingredients in a bowl, or shake in a mason jar.
Step 3: In a large serving bowl, arrange all salad ingredients.
Step 4: Add the Greek dressing and toss until evenly combined. Garnish with lemon slices and enjoy!
Tips for Success
- Rinse the cooked pasta under cold water to stop the cooking process and prevent it from becoming mushy.
- For the best flavor, go with Greek Kalamata olives (pits removed). They have a deeper flavor than regular black olives.
- Let the pasta salad rest for a few minutes before serving so the flavors come together.
- Serve chilled or at room temperature, whichever you prefer.
- Shortcut: Use your favorite store-bought Greek dressing.
Make Ahead Tips
You can either make this Greek pasta salad ahead entirely and serve the next day, or pre-dice all the ingredients to assemble easily later.
Make ahead: Make as directed and refrigerate overnight. The next day, toss with a little bit more dressing and add a few extra crisp diced veggies.
Prep ahead: Dice and chop all salad ingredients, and make the dressing. Store refrigerated in airtight containers up to 2 days in advance. When ready, toss and serve.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Cook the pasta up to 2-3 days ahead and keep refrigerated. When ready to serve, toss with a few drizzles of olive oil to loosen it up.
You can either make it ahead entirely and keep refrigerated overnight, or prep all the ingredients 1-2 days ahead and have it all ready to assemble later.
Yes, absolutely!
Pairing and Serving Ideas
It’s summer grilling season, and that means it’s also pasta salad (and potato salad!) season because no cookout is complete without a cold, refreshing side to balance out all the smoky, grilled mains.
Favorite main dish pairings: Grilled Marinated Shrimp, Greek Chicken Skewers, Spatchcock BBQ Chicken.
Favorite summer salads: Tomato Burrata Salad, Grilled Peach Salad, Watermelon Feta Salad.
Greek pasta salad variations: Make it creamy by adding a homemade tzatziki sauce, or add bolder herbs like fresh mint or basil.
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Easy Greek Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- ½ pound rotini pasta
- 2 cups diced English cucumber
- 1 green bell pepper - diced
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes - halved
- 1 cup kalamata olives - pit removed, roughly chopped
- ⅓ cup red onions - thinly sliced
- 1 cup feta cheese - crumbled or cubed
- ¼ cup Italian parsley, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped dill
- 1 cup canned chickpeas - drained and rinsed
Greek dressing:
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar - plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 clove garlic, fresh - finely minced or grated
- Salt and pepper - to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot with generously salted water, cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside.
- Make the Greek dressing: In a bowl or large mason jar, mix all the dressing ingredients until combined. Toss with ingredients.
- In a large bowl, combine all the greek pasta salad ingredients. Add the prepared dressing and toss to combine evenly. Enjoy!
Notes
- Red onions: You can soak in water for 15 minutes to make it taste a bit milder.
- Serve the salad chilled or at room temperature.
- Make ahead: Make as directed and keep refrigerated overnight (this will make it even more flavorful!). The next day, toss with some more dressing and add a few extra diced veggies to introduce the crisp texture.
- Storage: Place in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Feel free to use your favorite store-bought Greek dressing.
- Rotini pasta: Farfalle or bow tie, penne, fusilli, orzo.
- Add-ins: artichoke hearts, sun dried tomatoes, spinach, pepperoncini.
- Add your favorite protein.
- Add tzatziki for some creaminess.
Anna says
Looks yummy!!!!!! But How much of each ingredient for the Greek dressing please?
Tania says
Hi Anna, the ingredients for the dressing are included in the recipe card! Let me know if you have any other questions!