Go Back

Greek Pasta Salad with Feta Cheese

Greek pasta salad with feta cheese featuring tender penne or rotini tossed with cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, and red onion in a tangy Greek dressing. Chilled for at least 1 hour so the flavors meld, then finished with extra crumbled feta.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Greek
Calories: 520
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pasta salad base
  • 1 lb penne or rotini pasta
  • 2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 large cucumber, diced
  • 1 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
  • 0.5 cup red onion, thinly sliced
  • 8 oz feta cheese, crumbled
Greek dressing
  • 0.25 cup olive oil
  • 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • salt and pepper to taste

Method
 

Cook and rinse pasta
  1. Cook penne or rotini pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking and cool the pasta.
Make the Greek dressing
  1. Whisk olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, minced garlic, dried oregano, salt, and pepper in a bowl until well combined. Stop when the mixture looks uniformly blended.
Assemble the salad
  1. Combine pasta, halved cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber, pitted halved Kalamata olives, thinly sliced red onion, and most of the crumbled feta in a large bowl. Toss gently just to distribute the vegetables.
  2. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat everything evenly. Mix until no dry pasta bits remain and the salad looks glossy.
Chill and finish
  1. Refrigerate the salad for at least 1 hour to let the flavors meld. Cover it so the pasta doesn’t dry out.
  2. Top with the remaining feta before serving. Add it right at the end for a fresher, more distinct feta flavor.

Notes

Pro tip: Rinsing the pasta with cold water helps keep the penne/rotini from clumping, so the salad stays light and scoopable after chilling. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container for up to 3 days; for best texture, add fresh feta only to servings you plan to eat. Freezing isn’t recommended because cucumbers and tomatoes can turn watery. Dietary swap: for a gluten-free option, use gluten-free penne/rotini and keep the same dressing.