This Greek Pasta Salad is full of crisp fresh veggies, perfectly cooked pasta, fresh herbs, creamy feta cheese and the most delicious Greek vinaigrette. It is the perfect light lunch or filling weeknight dinner side dish.
A big bowl of fresh pasta salad screams spring and summer to me, anyone else? First of all pasta is delicious in it’s own right but when you add crisp veggies, a flavorful vinaigrette, and creamy cheese you take things to a whole new level.
This healthy greek pasta salad has everything you want in a fresh spring or summer side dish. It is packed with crunchy veggies, salty feta cheese, tangy olives, and a delicious and easy vinaigrette that pulls everything together just perfectly.
This easy recipe is made from simple ingredients that you may already have. You can easily customize it or make it gluten or dairy free if you need!
Pasta: Be sure to pick a pasta that has lots of nooks and crannies so the Greek vinaigrette is able to really stick to your pasta.
Cucumber: English cucumbers (also called “hot house” or “seedless”) work best for this recipe. This variety of cucumber has more tender skin, smaller seeds, and does not have a bitter taste which can be common in regular cucumber. If you cannot find an English cucumber, I recommend peeling and deseeding your cucumber before adding it to the salad.
Green Bell Pepper: Adds so much flavor and crunch.
Olives: Olives give the pasta salad that delicious salty tang. To keep things easy, use pitted olives and just slice them in half.
Tomatoes: Grape or cherry tomatoes work the best for this recipe.
Red Onion: If you don’t have red onion on hand, you can substitute green onion instead. The flavor will be slightly different but still delicious. I wouldn’t recommend using white or yellow onion in this recipe as the flavor of those onions will overpower the rest of the salad.
Feta Cheese: If you need to keep this recipe dairy free, feel free to leave out the feta cheese or substitute with your favorite non-dairy alternative.
Fresh Dill: Just a sprinkle on top to finish off the salad and add even more flavor.
Ingredient Swaps and Frequently Asked Questions
Pasta – Need to make a gluten free version of this recipe? Swap traditional pasta for your favorite gluten free pasta brand.
Cheese – Want to keep this recipe dairy free? Leave out the feta altogether or swap it for a dairy free version.
Veggies – Feel free to get creative and add more veggies to this pasta salad! This recipe is so easy to customize to fit your needs.
The Perfect Greek Vinaigrette
A simple Greek vinaigrette pulls all of the ingredients together into a delicious and flavorful salad. The dressing could not be easier to make and you likely already have all of the ingredients you need in your pantry.
Greek Vinaigrette Ingredients:
olive oil
red wine vinegar
lemon juice
fresh minced garlic
salt and pepper
dried oregano
To make the dressing, add all of the ingredients to a food processor or high powered blender and pulse or blend until the dressing is well combined. Once the dressing is blended, give it a taste and adjust the amount of salt and pepper to your tastebuds before pouring the dressing over the pasta and veggies.
How to Make This Greek Pasta Salad Recipe
Step One: Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Once al dente, drain and rinse the pasta with cold water.
Step Two: Add the pasta, bell pepper, tomatoes, olives, cucumbers, red onion, feta cheese, and dill to a large mixing bowl.
Step Three: Add all of the dressing ingredients to a high powered blender or food processor and blend until well combined.
Step Four: Pour the dressing over the salad and stir until well combined.
Step Five: Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
My Favorite Pasta Salad Tips and Tricks
Don’t over cook your pasta. Cook the pasta al dente so that it still has a bit of bite.
Drain and rinse the pasta under cool water to remove any excess starch before adding it to your mixing bowl
Salt your water while cooking the pasta to ensure that it has plenty of flavor.
Dice the red onion well. That way you don’t end up with huge pieces of onion in your salad.
Don’t skip mincing the garlic when making the dressing. When you mince the garlic before adding it to your food processor or blender, it blends more evenly into the dressing.
What to Serve With Pasta Salad
This pasta salad recipe is great on its own or you can pair it with your favorite protein to make it more of a complete meal. I love bringing this dish to a summer potluck or backyard barbecue.
I hope you give this Greek Pasta Salad a try! It’s so easy to make and a delicious side dish or filling lunch that I know you will love.
If you do give this recipe a try, let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo & tag @allthehealthythings on INSTAGRAM. Your reviews and ratings help support All the Healthy Things and make it possible for me to continue to create the recipes you trust and love.
I made this for a family gathering. It was a huge hit! I left out the feta to keep it dairy free- was still delicious. I really don’t care for olives or cucumbers either, but in this dish I scarfed them right down. My dad hates cucumbers, and he happily devoured this- didn’t even notice the cucumbers until I told him they were in there! It was so good and I will absolutely make this again!
I’ve never had a vinaigrette based pasta salad and now I’m hooked!! I’m a pasta lover and basically ate the majority of it lol! I’ll be making this on a regular basis. Seriously so so good!
This was delicious and easy to make! I added some canned chicken (drained & rinsed) to keep it simple but add some protein. Will definitely make again.
I have made this recipe 3 times in the last few weeks and absolutely love it! I made it for my family and when I had a girlfriend over for lunch and then once more just for me. It is super quick and delicious! I love the dressing too
A repeat dish! I absolutely love the dressing, so brilliant to add the honey! It added a subtle sweet taste. I added roasted chickpeas in mine, and fresh parsley instead of dill. Too good!!
Made this for easy lunches this week and it was delicious! I threw it on a bed of arugula for some extra veg. Anything with kalamata olives is a win in my book!
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Perfect summer lunch. Was delicious and easy. Next time I’ll double the recipe for leftovers. So Yummy!!!
★★★★★
I made this for a family gathering. It was a huge hit! I left out the feta to keep it dairy free- was still delicious. I really don’t care for olives or cucumbers either, but in this dish I scarfed them right down. My dad hates cucumbers, and he happily devoured this- didn’t even notice the cucumbers until I told him they were in there! It was so good and I will absolutely make this again!
★★★★★
So glad you’ll be making it again, SJ!
This salad has so much flavor! A perfect lunch. I used chickpea pasta and will definitely be making this again.
★★★★★
Happy to hear that, Maggie! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
I’ve never had a vinaigrette based pasta salad and now I’m hooked!! I’m a pasta lover and basically ate the majority of it lol! I’ll be making this on a regular basis. Seriously so so good!
★★★★★
So glad you loved it, Christina!
I love that this pasta salad has dill in it! I added pepperoni and made a full meal out of it. Hubby definitely wants me to make this recipe again!
★★★★★
This was delicious and easy to make! I added some canned chicken (drained & rinsed) to keep it simple but add some protein. Will definitely make again.
★★★★★
I have made three batches in two weeks, and it disappears so quickly. Easy and delicious. Love this dish for hot summer days!
★★★★★
I have made this recipe 3 times in the last few weeks and absolutely love it! I made it for my family and when I had a girlfriend over for lunch and then once more just for me. It is super quick and delicious! I love the dressing too
★★★★★
My new favorite pasta salad!! So light and yummy. Definitely will be on my regular lunch prep rotation!!
★★★★★
This is so delicious! And so easy to make.
★★★★★
This was delicious and so easy! Great side dish for hot summer days.
Very tasty and such a perfect summer lunch or side dish.
Love a healthy pasta salad! This was so tasty and easy to throw together. Will definitely be a repeat!
This was so easy and so delicious. I love love love the dressing!
A repeat dish! I absolutely love the dressing, so brilliant to add the honey! It added a subtle sweet taste. I added roasted chickpeas in mine, and fresh parsley instead of dill. Too good!!
Absolutely delicious! Makes for a perfect light summer meal or side dish.
This recipe is amazing!!! Definitely want to try adding artichoke hearts next time! Great summer time meal!
Made this for easy lunches this week and it was delicious! I threw it on a bed of arugula for some extra veg. Anything with kalamata olives is a win in my book!
Made this for a quick summer lunch! So refreshing and delicious. Will be a great dish to whip up all summer long!
Made this recipe for dinner tonight. Very tasty… and quick & easy to prepare. Our whole family enjoyed!