5 from 9 votes
Best Greek Pasta Salad
This Greek pasta salad is super easy to make, a delicious medley of flavors and textures, and is great to make as a side dish or even a light lunch or dinner.
Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
35 mins
Servings:
8
Calories:
501 kcal
Course:
Main Course, Salad
Cuisine:
Greek, American
Ingredients
Greek Pasta Salad Dressing
- ¾ cup olive oil
- ⅓ cup red wine vinegar
- ⅓ cup lemon juice about 2 lemons, fresh
- 2 medium shallot minced
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon oregano or 2 tblsp fresh oregano leaves, minced, dried
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper ground
Salad
- 1 pound short pasta cooked
- 2 medium carrot peeled and grated
- 1 large sweet pepper cored, seeded, cut into strips
- 1-2 cups feta cheese crumbled
- 1 cup olive chopped, whole or sliced, pitted
- ½ cup parsley minced, fresh leaves
- 1 cup grape tomato or cherry tomato
- 1 cup cucumber seeded (if desired) and sliced
- ½ cup purple onion sliced
Options
- 1 cup chicken cooked, rotisserie or leftover, shredded, diced or sliced
- 1 cup chickpeas
- 1 handful baby spinach or baby kale
Instructions
Greek Pasta Salad Dressing
- In a medium sized bowl, combine olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, shallots, mustard, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
Cup of Yum
Pasta
- Cook pasta until totally cooked according to package directions. Drain and place cooked pasta into a large bowl.
Salad
- Add carrots, peppers, cucumber, onions, feta, olives, and parsley. Toss with pasta. Add tomatoes and some feta, if desired, across the top of your salad.
To Serve
- When you are ready to serve, remove salad from fridge about 20 minutes before serving. If you prefer a salad that is room temperature, place the salad into another bowl and allow the salad to sit in that instead. Add just enough salad dressing to keep the salad moist.
Notes
- Recipe has been adapted from CooksIllustrated.com
- Cook just right: Cook the pasta al dente. Overcooking will cause it to become mushy and soggy. Once the pasta is done cooking, drain the water and rinse it with cold water to stop cooking.
- Choose fresh: When picking veggies to add to your salad, choose ones that are ripe, fresh and crisp. Opt for English cucumbers as opposed to the regular ones, as they have a nice bit of snap.
- Experiment with mix-ins: Fresh and pickled veggies can the most obvious ones, but you can also try and experiment with other mix-ins like chopped herbs, Greek yogurt (if you prefer a creamy salad dressing) or pickled or roasted veggies like onions and bell peppers to bring in some more deliciousness.
Nutrition Information
Calories
501kcal
(25%)
Carbohydrates
54g
(18%)
Protein
13g
(26%)
Fat
26g
(40%)
Saturated Fat
6g
(30%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
3g
(18%)
Monounsaturated Fat
16g
(80%)
Cholesterol
17mg
(6%)
Sodium
568mg
(24%)
Potassium
417mg
(9%)
Fiber
5g
(20%)
Sugar
5g
(10%)
Vitamin A
3801IU
(76%)
Vitamin C
32mg
(36%)
Calcium
139mg
(14%)
Iron
2mg
(11%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 8 Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 501
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 501kcal | 25% |
| Carbohydrates | 54g | 18% |
| Protein | 13g | 26% |
| Fat | 26g | 40% |
| Saturated Fat | 6g | 30% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 3g | 18% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 16g | 80% |
| Cholesterol | 17mg | 6% |
| Sodium | 568mg | 24% |
| Potassium | 417mg | 9% |
| Fiber | 5g | 20% |
| Sugar | 5g | 10% |
| Vitamin A | 3801IU | 76% |
| Vitamin C | 32mg | 36% |
| Calcium | 139mg | 14% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.