This Greek-style pasta salad is the perfect summer side dish. It is loaded with sweet grape tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, crunchy red bell peppers, parsley, creamy feta cheese, and pasta. If you don't like olives, you are in luck! This pasta salad is made without them. A zesty dressing combines all the ingredients to make a refreshing salad for warm and sunny days.
I have a long list of salads I love to make for lunch in the summer, and Greek Pasta Salad tops the list. Even though I usually do not eat a lot of pasta, I make an exception with this refreshing salad because I load it with lots of fresh veggies to offset the carbs in the pasta.
The other night I made this pasta salad and was unsure if my husband would like it because he tends to be a pickier eater than me. Typically, I make this salad and eat it for lunches, but I thought I would make it as a side dish for dinner. To my surprise, he loved the salad. He said, "This is a delicious salad; I like it!." I was thrilled because now I could serve it for lunch and dinner too!
Many pasta salads use mayonnaise-based dressings. The great thing about this Greek pasta salad is that it is dressed with a zesty Greek-style vinaigrette dressing, and no mayonnaise is involved.
It is easy to double or triple the recipe if you need to make it for a crowd. This salad is the perfect side dish with any grilled meat. Serve it at a family barbeque, neighborhood potluck, or graduation party. Everyone will love it, even the kids!
Make extra to eat for lunches throughout the week or as a leftover over with rotisserie chicken. You will be happy you did!
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What's in a Greek Pasta Salad?
- Farfalle pasta-I love farfalle-shaped pasta for Greek pasta salads. However, any short-shaped pasta will work, such as fusilli, penne, orzo, ziti, or orecchiette.
- Grape tomatoes-cherry tomatoes can also be used.
- Cucumbers-I like to use English or Persian cumbers because they have fewer seeds, and I do not have to peel them. If you use English cucumbers, cut off the ends because they can be bitter.
- Red bell pepper-Yellow or orange bell peppers can also be used. However, I would not recommend green bell peppers because they don't offer the same level of sweetness that you get from red, yellow, or orange bell peppers.
- Red onion-these onions are my personal favorite, and you will traditionally find them in Greek salads. In a pinch, you could use sweet yellow onions.
- Parsley-Parsley adds a fresh taste to this salad. Other fresh herbs that work well are chives, dill, or oregano.
- Feta cheese-this cheese adds a salty creaminess which is the perfect addition to the salad. If you don't like feta cheese, you can also use goat cheese or fresh mozzarella.
How to make this salad
Cook the pasta and place it in a bowl. While the pasta is cooking, cut up the veggies.
Add the prepared veggies, parsley, and feta cheese to the pasta.
Toss the salad with ⅔ of the dressing. Add the remaining ⅓ before serving.
Enjoy! I love to serve this salad at room temperature.
Don't miss these tips!
- Salt the pasta water so that the salad will not be bland. Don't skip this step! For 8 ounces of dry pasta, I recommend 1 to 1 ½ tablespoons of salt to 2 quarts of water.
- Stir the pasta occasionally to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Cook the pasta to al dente; otherwise, overcooked pasta leads to a mushy salad.
- Cut the vegetable about the same size.
- Use small pasta so the dressing can get in the nooks and crannies, yielding a tastier salad.
- To mellow the flavor of the red onions, soak the onions in salted warm water (a pinch of salt) for 10 minutes. Drain before adding them to the salad.
What's in Greek Salad Dressing?
A storebought bottled dressing will work in this salad, but it contains unnecessary preservatives and ingredients. It takes about 5 minutes to make a Greek salad dressing, and you probably have all the ingredients in your pantry! So why not make it fresh!
- Olive oil-I prefer olive oil, but you can also use vegetable or canola oil.
- Red wine vinegar-The vinegar gives the salad a nice "zing." You can also substitute freshly squeezed lemon juice.
- Dijon mustard-the mustard helps emulsify the dressing and adds flavor to the dressing. Yellow mustard will not work here.
- Garlic cloves-in a pinch, substitute ½ teaspoon garlic powder.
- Dried oregano-this is traditionally used in Greek cooking. You can also use fresh oregano if you have it growing in your garden.
- Kosher salt and coarse ground pepper-season the salad.
Place all the ingredients in a bowl or a jar with a lid.
Whisk the dressing until it is emulsified. If using a jar, shake until the dressing is combined.
Pro Tip!
If the dressing is too tart, add 1 teaspoon honey and 1-2 tablespoons more oil.
Common questions
Yes, this recipe for Greek Pasta Salad is the perfect make-ahead dish. I would not make it more than 1 day ahead of time.
The storebought dressing will work. However, it is easy and less expensive to make your own using the recipe below.
Freezing changes the texture of the cucumbers and other ingredients in the salad, making them mushy. Therefore, I would not recommend freezing the pasta salad.
If you use a regular cucumber, cut off the ends because they tend to be bitter, peel the cucumber (the skin is tough), and remove the seeds.
For 8 ounces (½ pound) of dry pasta, I recommend using 1 to 1 ½ tablespoons salt in 2 quarts of water. The water should be well seasoned, so the pasta does not taste bland.
Storage Tips
Store salad refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Substitutions/Recipe Variations
- Substitute chopped Romaine lettuce for the pasta if you prefer a gluten-free or low-carb version of this salad.
- Customize the salad by adding any of the following:
- capers
- corn
- a mixture of fresh herbs such as parsley, dill, and chives,
- sun-dried tomatoes
- artichokes
- Swap out cheese tortellini for the farfalle pasta to make a delicious and filling main entree meal.
- Replace feta cheese with goat cheese or fresh mozzarella for a different taste.
- Add shredded rotisserie chicken for a quick and refreshing summer lunch or dinner.
What to serve with Greek Pasta Salad
So many meat entrees are delicious with Greek Pasta Salad. Serve it with hot dogs, hamburgers, grilled pork, or steak. My favorite is serving Greek pasta salad with grilled chicken thighs or chicken breasts.
I hope you try this recipe! Please rate it and comment below. I love hearing from you!
Print📋 Recipe
Simple and Healthy Greek-Style Pasta Salad without Olives
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 7 cups, 4 servings 1x
- Category: Salad, Sides
- Cuisine: American, Greek
Description
This easy Greek Pasta Salad is filled with summer goodness. Sweet grape tomatoes, crunchy cucumbers, crisp red bell peppers, fresh herbs, creamy feta, and pasta are dressed with a zesty vinaigrette. Make this refreshing salad for your next warm-weather get-together or barbeque.
Ingredients
Greek Dressing Ingredients
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¾ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup olive oil
Pasta Salad Ingredients
- 8 ounces dry farfalle (bowtie) pasta
- 1 cup quartered grape tomatoes
- ¾ cup diced Persian or English cucumber
- ½ cup diced red bell pepper
- ⅓ cup finely diced red onion
- ¼ cup chopped fresh herbs such as parsley, oregano, or basil.
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
Vinaigrete Instructions
- Whisk all the dressing ingredients together in a 2-cup measuring cup. Set aside.
Pasta Salad Instructions
- In a large pot, bring 2 quarts of water to a boil. Add 1 to 1 ½ tablespoons Kosher salt. Add pasta and cook according to package directions. Cook time varies between 9-12 minutes. The pasta should be al dente. Start tasting the pasta to test for doneness at 9 minutes.
- Drain, and rinse the pasta with cold water. Cool the pasta to room temperature.
- Once the pasta has cooled to room temperature, add the grape tomatoes, cucumbers, red pepper, red onion, parsley or oregano, and feta cheese.
- Pour ⅔ of the dressing on the salad and toss. Save the remaining dressing to add right before serving the salad.
- Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Store leftovers for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Salt the pasta water so that the salad will not be bland. Don't skip this step!
- Stir the pasta occasionally to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Cook the pasta to al dente otherwise overcooked pasta leads to a mushy salad.
- Cut the vegetable about the same size.
- Use small-shaped pasta so that the dressing can get in the nooks and crannies yielding a tastier salad.
- To mellow the flavor of the red onions, soak the onions in salted warm water (a pinch of salt) for 10 minutes. Drain before adding them to the salad.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 231
- Sugar: 2.8 g
- Sodium: 353.3 mg
- Fat: 10.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 27.4 g
- Protein: 6.3 g
- Cholesterol: 9.5 mg
Keywords: Summer salad, Greek Pasta Salad without olives, Simple Greek Pasta Salad, Best Greek Pasta Salad
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Missy
This is the best pasta salad recipe. It is my go-to side dish for BBQs, picnics, and weeknight meals. I also love the leftover for lunch.
★★★★★