Greek Pasta Salad combines tender pasta, juicy cherry tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, tangy onions, and creamy feta cheese. It’s topped with the absolute best, mayo-free Greek dressing.
We love adding in some protein by serving grilled Greek Chicken or baked Greek Meatballs on the side.
Greek Pasta Salad Without Mayo!
Greek Pasta Salad is fresh, light, flavorful, and filled with veggies. It’s the perfect dish for when the weather is hot and you need something that won’t heat up the kitchen. It’s also such a great side dish to bring to a potluck — trust me, it will be the talk of the party!
With the light dressing and all the fresh garden veggies, this is a salad that will leave you feeling refreshed and energized.
While creamy, mayo-heavy pasta salads like this Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad or Macaroni Salad have their place, sometimes it’s nice to enjoy a lighter option that won’t leave you feeling sluggish.
Ingredients Needed
- Pasta: I love using bowtie pasta because its shape is ideal for mixing with veggies and soaking up the dressing.
- Cucumber: Grab smaller, thinner cucumbers like English or mini salad cucumbers. If you can only get large cucumbers, peel their skin and remove the seeds.
- Bell Pepper: Green bell peppers aren’t as sweet, so they work well to balance the sweetness of the tomatoes. However, if you prefer, you can use a sweet bell pepper (yellow, red, or orange).
- Cherry Tomatoes: These add a sweet, fresh flavor to this Greek Pasta Salad. Halve or quarter them depending on their size.
- Flavor Boosters: Olives for a briny taste, red onion for tang, and Italian parsley for freshness.
- Feta: Choose good-quality feta for a creamy, tangy flavor. Leave it out if you’re dairy-free.
- Greek Salad Dressing: Made with olive oil as the base, it includes flavor enhancers like lemon juice, honey, mustard, garlic, and oregano for a mix of sweet and tangy flavors. Red wine vinegar adds acidity to brighten and balance the dressing.
Quick Tip
Take away the bite of red onion: If you’re sensitive to the flavor of raw onion, soak the diced onions in salted ice water for 10 minutes. Drain well before adding to the salad.
How To Make Greek Pasta Salad
- Cook Pasta: Boil pasta in salted water until al dente, then rinse with cold water and set aside.
- Prepare Dressing: Combine all dressing ingredients in a mason jar, shake well, and pop in the fridge.
- Prep Vegetables: Prepare all veggies.
- Assemble Salad: In a large bowl, combine cooled pasta with prepared veggies.
- Add Dressing: Add dressing to taste, then gently mix.
- Finish with Feta: Top with feta cheese, adjust seasonings as needed, and enjoy!
What To Serve With Greek Pasta Salad
- Grilled or Baked Meats: Like chicken, lamb, or baked cod.
- Pita and Hummus: For a creamy side or fun appetizer.
- Roasted Vegetables: Like broccoli and bell peppers. Grilled veggies would also make for a delicious side.
- Meze Platter: With tzatziki, olives, and feta.
- Fresh Fruit: Watermelon, grapes, or figs for a sweet finish.
Greek Pasta Salad Tips
- Cook Pasta Right: Boil pasta just enough (al dente) using the time on the package. This stops it from getting mushy later. But don’t under-do it — pasta does firm up as it cools, so make sure it’s fully cooked.
- Taste and Season: After finishing the salad, taste it and add more seasonings if needed.
- Salt the Pasta Water: Adding salt to the water you cook pasta in gives it flavor. Without salt, the salad might taste dull.
- Soften Red Onion: To make raw red onion less sharp, soak it in salted cold water for 10 minutes, then drain it before you add it to the salad.
- Prepare Cucumbers Right: Cut and throw away about 1 inch from the ends of English cucumbers to avoid a bitter flavor.
What’s The Best Pasta To Use In A Pasta Salad?
The best pasta for salad is short, sturdy kinds that mix well and can pick up dressing and small bits. Here are my top picks:
- Farfalle (bowtie): Good for holding dressing and veggies.
- Rotini (spirals): The twists are able to grab lots of dressing. I use it in my favorite Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad.
- Penne: The tube shape is able to catch herbs and veggies.
- Orecchiette: This fun bowl shape holds on to dressing well. I use it in this popular Autumn Crunch Pasta Salad.
Storage
How Long Will Greek Pasta Salad Last?
- This salad stays fresh in the fridge for 2-3 days.
- It tastes best on the day it’s made; over time, the flavors of onion and olives get stronger, and the pasta continues to absorb the dressing, making it slightly dry.
How To Make Ahead Of Time
- Store ingredients (veggies, pasta, feta cheese, dressing) separately in the fridge in meal prep containers.
- Assemble each serving just before eating to keep the salad fresh for up to 5 days.
Other Delicious Pasta Salads:
- BLT Pasta Salad with bacon and tomatoes
- Cowboy Caviar Pasta Salad with a lime and olive oil dressing
- Italian Pasta Salad with chicken and veggies
- Pesto Pasta Salad with cherry tomatoes and fresh basil
- Taco Pasta Salad with a creamy chili-lime dressing
Greek Pasta Salad
Greek Pasta Salad combines tender pasta, juicy cherry tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, tangy onions, and creamy feta cheese. It's topped with the absolute best, mayo-free Greek dressing.
Ingredients
Salad
- 3 cups mini bowtie (farfalle) pasta (NOT the entire box)
- 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted & halved
- 1/3 cup red onion, diced (Note 1)
- 2 cups English or Persian cucumbers, cut into half moons (Note 2)
- 2 cups (1 pint) cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled or cubed
Instructions
- PASTA: Bring 12 cups water to a rolling boil in a large pot. Add 1 tbsp salt and then add the pasta (See Note 3). Cook pasta al dente according to package directions. Drain and rinse in cold water for 20 seconds. Shake off excess water and set aside to fully cool.
- DRESSING: Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a mason jar. Seal and shake thoroughly to combine, making sure no honey is stuck on the bottom. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- VEGGIES: Meanwhile, prep the veggies.
- ASSEMBLE: Add completely cooled pasta to a large bowl. Add veggies on top. Give the dressing another shake then drizzle on salad (See Note 4). Add feta on top. Taste and adjust seasonings and enjoy!
Video
Recipe Notes
Note 1: Red onion: If you're sensitive to the flavor of raw red onion, soak the diced onions in ice water (with a pinch of salt) for 10 minutes. Drain thoroughly before adding to this salad.
Note 2: Cucumbers: Make sure to cut off and discard about 1 inch from both ends of an English cucumber; this part of the cucumber is very bitter.
Note 3: Pasta water: Even though the pasta will be tossed in the vinaigrette, if you haven't salted your pasta water, the salad will taste under-seasoned/bland. Seasoning the pasta water is how you flavor the pasta itself.
Note 4: Dressing: Add it gradually and to taste. Since the pasta absorbs dressing over time, it may become drier. Start with most of the dressing, then add more as needed if the salad seems dry after sitting.
Make Ahead: Store ingredients (veggies, pasta, feta cheese, dressing) separately in the fridge. Assemble each serving just before eating to keep the salad fresh for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
Serving: 8servings | Calories: 442kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 376mg | Potassium: 465mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 829IU | Vitamin C: 45mg | Calcium: 114mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This dressing is amazing!! I can’t get enough of it!!
I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks Terri! 🙂
Made this salad for my daughters baby shower I doubled it. The only thing I changed was a yellow and red pepper instead of a green pepper.
It was a huge success.
Thanks
I am so happy to hear this! Thanks J! 🙂
Sounds like a great summer salad!!
Its one of our favorites! 🙂
This is fantastic, especially the dressing. I recommend not rinsing the pasta and tossing it with the dressing right out of the pot!
Brought this to a family picnic Daughter just texted me that her family loved it and wants the recipe. I added a ear of cooked fresh corn. I used a 16 oz. rigitoni. Increased the olive oil to 1/2 c and red wine vinegar to 1/4 c.
So happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks Janet 🙂
This salad is awesome. Dressing is really flavourful. Will be a go-to for our family.
So glad to hear that! Thank you for the comment 🙂
Made this with chickpea pasta and no tomatoes (just not a fan) and it was so good! The flavors of all the mix-ins go so well together. My husband is not big on cold dishes and he even loved it!
So happy to hear this was a hit! Thanks Stephanie 🙂
This was fantastic I used wheat pasta for healthy reasons, but it was just awesome! The only thing I did differently was used : lemons, because I love lemons!!
Yum! Lemon would be great with this! Thanks for your comment Beth! 🙂
This looks delicious! Can you use mozzarella instead of feta? Would that defeat the purpose of a greek salad? lol
Haha! You can leave out the feta (or use mozzarella) if you’d prefer 🙂
Absolutely amazing! Love this salad. Perfect combination of flavors. Definitely a keeper! Thank you .
So happy to hear that! Thanks Rose!