Tender artichoke hearts, roasted bell peppers, feta, olives, and your choice of pasta are tossed with a zesty white balsamic dressing in this quick and easy Greek pasta salad.
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“So impressed with this recipe! I never comment on recipes but for this one I had to. Simple and delicious. I used cheese tortellini for the pasta, and minced olives. Seriously could eat this everyday. Thanks so much for the recipe!” -Sonja, FoodieCrush reader
I’ve Made This So Often I Have the Recipe Memorized!
Just like a signature scent, song, and style, every home cook should have a defining dish that sets us apart from the pack. A recipe we can rely on, time and time again.
This Greek pasta salad recipe is one of mine, and I know it like the back of my hand. It’s right up there with this potato salad recipe, macaroni salad, and my favorite Greek chicken marinade.
I’ve got them all memorized and ready to pull out of my back pocket. This pasta salad is teeming with bright colors, a variety of textures, and so much flavor — you’re going to love it!
Enjoy!
Ingredient Notes
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Olive oil — Choose a fruity olive oil when making the dressing.
- White balsamic vinegar — Gives our vinaigrette great acidity without turning our pasta salad an unattractive brown color.
- Garlic — Provides so much flavor! Don’t add more garlic than the recipe calls for or else your pasta salad will having you breathing garlicky fire.
- Pasta — I used fettuccine for this, but you could use any pasta you like (a long or a short noodle, GF, whole wheat, whatever!).
- Artichoke hearts — I like marinated, jarred artichokes for this pasta salad but you may use artichoke hearts packed in water too. If you cooked artichokes for dinner last night and have some leftover, chuck them in instead.
- Roasted red bell peppers — I love the bright pop of color and subtle smokiness they lend. Either buy a jar at the store or roast your own bell peppers.
- Kalamata olives — For some brine. If you’re an olive hater, you may omit them, but I personally love an olive-studded pasta salad.
- Cucumber — Choose a hot house cucumber (aka English cucumber) which has a tender skin that’s not waxy or bitter like regular cucumbers.
- Red onion — If red onions are too pungent for you, swap in chives or green onion.
- Feta cheese — Buy a block of feta and crumble it yourself for the creamiest texture.
- Fresh basil — For color and a fresh, herbaceous flavor.
How to Make This Easy Greek Pasta Salad
- Make the dressing. You can either shake up the dressing in a jar or measure the ingredients into the bottom of the serving bowl to save yourself some dishes.
- Cook the pasta. Give it a few minutes to cool off before tossing it with the rest of the ingredients (you don’t want to melt the feta!).
- Toss it up. Add all of the pasta salad ingredients to a large bowl and toss to combine. I like to reserve some of the feta cheese to sprinkle on top — it makes the dish look a little more pulled together. You can also garnish this pasta salad with slivered fresh basil leaves.
Heidi’s Tip: I think this pasta salad tastes better after it’s had time to sit in the fridge for a bit. The pasta soaks up the extra dressing, making each bite even more flavorful.
Ways to Switch Up Your Pasta Salad
This is not baking. This is not science. It’s about having the basic ratio and flavor profiles down and then cooking on the fly. Play with this pasta salad recipe as much as you’d like!
- Stick within the Greek flavor mode, and add more vegetables or less. My husband LOVES the crunch of cucumber so that’s always his number one request, but you could toss in zucchini here too. Other Mediterranean flavor ingredients to add might include avocado, arugula, capers, pepperoncini, chickpeas, and either sun-dried or fresh tomatoes.
- Play the herb game. I used fresh basil to garnish and flavor this salad but oregano, dill, marjoram, parsley, and thyme all work, too.
- Dress it up. I always use a fruity olive oil for this salad dressing but as long as you keep the same ratios in mind, use your choice of white balsamic, red wine vinegar, or lemon juice for tang. If you use regular balsamic vinegar, be aware that your dressing will be dark and so will your pasta salad.
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below, leave a comment to tell us what you think, and tag me on Instagram @foodiecrush.
Greek Pasta Salad Recipe
Ingredients
Balsamic Dressing
- ½ cup fruity olive oil
- ¼ cup white balsamic vinegar
- 4 cloves garlic , minced or pressed
- 2 tablespoons dry oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Pasta Salad
- 1 pound pasta , cooked, drained, and cooled*
- 2 (15-ounce) cans quartered artichoke hearts in brine , drained
- 1 (12-ounce) jar roasted red bell peppers slivered or chopped
- 1 (8-ounce) jar kalamata olives , halved
- 1 hot house cucumber , cut into ⅜" slices
- ¼ red onion , thinly sliced
- 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
- ⅓ cup slivered or chopped fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Make the dressing. In a small bowl or a jar fitted with a lid, add the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper and whisk well to combine. Let sit at room temperature for flavors to blend.½ cup fruity olive oil, ¼ cup white balsamic vinegar, 4 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons dry oregano, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- Assemble. Add the cooked pasta, artichoke hearts, roasted bell peppers, olives, cucumber, onion, and half of the feta cheese to a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients and toss gently to mix. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper or more olive oil if needed. Add the rest of the feta cheese to the top of the pasta salad and top with more fresh basil if desired.1 pound pasta , 2 (15-ounce) cans quartered artichoke hearts in brine, 1 (12-ounce) jar roasted red bell peppers slivered or chopped, 1 (8-ounce) jar kalamata olives, 1 hot house cucumber, ¼ red onion, 1 cup crumbled feta cheese, ⅓ cup slivered or chopped fresh basil leaves
- Rest. Let the flavors sit for ½ hour before serving or overnight.
Notes
Nutrition
What to Serve with Greek Pasta Salad
- Perfect Grilled Salmon
- Grilled Greek Chicken Kebabs
- Greek Turkey Burgers with Tzatziki Sauce
- Mediterranean Grilled Pork Chops with Tomato Salad
- Pork Souvlaki Skewers
- Black Bean Burgers
More Greek Salad Recipes to Try
- Greek Chickpea Salad
- Greek Cobb Salad
- Greek Potato Salad
- Greek Watermelon Salad
- Greek Bread Salad
- Greek Salad with Chicken
- Greek Chicken Gyro Salad
- Horiatiki (Traditional Greek Salad)
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Loris
Loved the flavors! Thanks for sharing your recipe. Only changes were using the artichoke oil for the dressing and no added salt. Definitely a keeper
I’m so glad you liked it Loris. Thanks for the comment!
Thisni Caza
Enjoy your recipes, but… Is there a way to automatically adjust the number of servings down? I’m cooking for one most of the time. I”m sure lots of folks are cooking for two or three. Recipes like this one that makes 10-12 servings is too much for a lot of people. I know, I can figure this out for myself, but being able to reduce the number of servings automatically would be helpful. Thanks.
Hi Thisni, currently we can only adjust the recipe to increase the amount. I’ll check to see if I can find something that will do that on the site!
Kristy
What is fruity olive oil?
Hayley
Hi Kristy! You just want to be sure to use an extra-virgin olive oil (those are the best quality and tend to be on the fruitier side, meaning they’re mellow and sweet, with a light, peppery finish). We hope you enjoy the recipe!
Elizabeth Eshleman
This salad is wonderful! It goes with everything and so flavorful! I served it with crab cakes and grilled zucchini! Perfect summer dinner!! Highly recommend!!
Thank you Elizabeth!
Dawn Severson
Can I use regular balsamic vinegar? I don’t have white balsamic. Or should I use red wine vinegar instead?
Thanks for sharing this recipe. I was looking for something with artichoke hearts and cucumbers.
Hayley
Hi Dawn! Sure, you could use regular balsamic or red wine vinegar (of those two we’d probably go more for the red wine vinegar though). We hope you enjoy!
Laurie
Too much oregano! Cut in half!
Patti
A favorite delicious salad, filled with goodness.
Penny | SparklingPenny
This was delicious! Thank you. My boys aren’t into salad dishes normally but they loved this one. I’m going to try adding some leftover chicken next time too.
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
Thanks so much Penny! Chicken would be great!
Raylene
Loved it!! Used tagliatelle pasta and added some grilled chicken. YUM!
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
Yum! Thank you Raylene!
Courtney McGrale
Delicious! I used White Wine Vinegar, and whole wheat orchiette pasta. I am bringing this for my book club tonight!
So glad you enjoyed it Courtney, and yes, you can always use a different pasta :)
Amber
This turned out wonderful! I used red wine vinegar because I couldn’t find white balsamic at Trader Joe’s. But it turned out fantastic. It made a lot so I took leftovers to work the next day and everyone really loved it. Thanks for sharing!
Awesome Amber! I love this salad for leftovers too.
Sonja
So impressed with this recipe! I never comment on recipes but for this one I had to. Simple and delicious. I used cheese tortellini for the pasta, and minced olives. Seriously could eat this everyday. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENT!
Judy
How many servings would you estimate this recipe yields?
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
4-8 depending on serving size
Tamela
This salad is the BOMB! The only changes I made was I used zucchini instead of cucumbers (I love zucchini best), added garbanzo beans and tried Brianna’s Creamy Balsamic dressing (you can get at walmart). I love to keep some type of veggie/bean/pasta salad in the fridge all the time so I’m always looking for new ideas. This will be in our fridge a lot! Thanks for sharing!
Karen
This is very similar to the pasta salad I make and everyone loves. One thing I do differently is to use artichokes in oil and use it instead of the olive oil. I love doing lots of veggies too. So yummy.
Laura | Tutti Dolci
Yes please, this is just the salad I need for the holiday weekend!
Wanda
Yum
Wanda
Sounds like it is a great. Salad
Sara @ Last Night's Feast
PerfectioN!!
Rahul Gandhi
Yum is right!!
Brooklyn Murtaugh
Oh this looks so good! I’m on a Greek salad kick, so this will be great :)
Maria
I am going to eat this all summer long!
Denise L
I could live off this forever! Thanks for sharing.
Richard
Stunning looking recipe! This is right up my street, so colourful and tasty looking.