This Greek pasta salad features feta cheese and a zesty dressing that tops crunchy cucumbers, red peppers, and artichoke hearts.
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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 just 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 Greek pasta salad is teeming with bright colors, a variety of textures, and so much flavorโyou’re going to love it!
Why You’ll Love It
- This Greek pasta salad is adaptable and flexible depending on the ingredients I have โ or don’t have โ in the pantry or refrigerator
- It only takes 30 minutes to make
- This salad makes a lot of servings, so it’s great for a crowd
Greek Pasta Salad Ingredients List
This simple Greek pasta salad recipe combines a lot of salty, briny flavors with bright, fruity ones. The Kalamata olives are a must for me in this pasta salad, as are the artichoke hearts and white balsamic vinegar.
- Olive oilโfor our Greek dressing
- White balsamic vinegarโgives our vinaigrette great acidity without turning our pasta salad an unattractive brown color!
- Garlicโgives so much flavor to this pasta salad
- Dried oreganoโa must for the Greek dressing
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepperโalways, for flavor
- PastaโI used fettuccine for this but you could use any pasta you like (a long or a short noodleโeither works great)
- Artichoke heartsโI like marinated, jarred artichokes for this pasta salad
- Roasted red bell peppersโI love the bright pop of color and subtle smokiness they lend (you could also use fresh red bell pepper if you wanted)
- Kalamata olivesโfor some brine
- Cucumberโfor a cool crunch
- Red onionโfor color and crunch, and a bit of bite
- Feta cheeseโfor a salty bite
- Fresh basilโfor color and a fresh, herbaceous flavor
How to Make Greek Pasta Salad
- Make the Greek salad dressing.
- Cook the pasta. Be sure to 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 โ it makes the dish look a little more pulled together. You can also garnish this easy pasta salad with slivered fresh basil leaves.
Can I Prep This Pasta Salad in Advance?
I think this Greek pasta salad with feta tastes betterย after it’s had time to sit in the fridge for a bit. The pasta soaks up the extra Greek dressing, making each bite even more flavorful. You can let this pasta salad chill overnight if needed. Don’t let it sit for more than a day before serving it though, because the pasta will become soggy over time.
What’s the Best Pasta for Pasta Salad?
You can make Greek pasta salad with just about any pasta noodle. Use egg noodles, long pasta, short or shell pasta, gluten-free, or whatever you have in your pantry. When I’m feeling a bit more virtuous, I make this whole wheat Greek pasta salad.
Recipe Tips andย Variations
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.
Here are a few ideas for how to make this Greek pasta salad your own:
- 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. My number one request is artichoke hearts so they nearly always go in. I usually use artichoke hearts in water rather than in oil, but if that’s all I have on hand, either one works. I used roasted red bell pepper here, but fresh diced bell pepper of any color is delicious too. And pretty much any flavor of olives will do. Other Mediterranean flavor ingredients to add might include avocado, arugula, capers, pepperoncini, chickpeas, and sun-dried tomatoes instead of fresh cherry tomatoes.
- Play theย herbย 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.
- Give it a rest. After making the pasta salad, let the flavors sit for ยฝ hour before serving or overnight so they have a proper chance to meld together.
Storage Tips
This Greek pasta salad will keep stored in a Tupperware container in the fridge for about 3 days.
What to Serve with Greek Pasta Salad
- The Best Grilled Salmon
- Grilled Greek Chicken Kebabs
- The Best Greek Chicken
- Greek Turkey Burgers with Tzatziki Sauce
- Mediterranean Grilled Pork Chops with Tomato Salad
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave aย ย star rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo andย tag me on Instagramย with #foodiecrusheats.
Greek Pasta Salad with Cucumbers and Artichoke Hearts
Ingredients
- ยฝ cup fruity olive oil
- ยผ cup white balsamic vinegar
- 4 cloves garlic , minced or pressed
- 2 tablespoons dry oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1 pound pasta noodles , 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 โ " slices
- ยผ red onion , thinly sliced
- 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
- โ cup fresh slivered or chopped basil leaves
Instructions
- To 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.
- 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. Let the flavors sit for ยฝ hour before serving or overnight.
Notes
Nutrition
More Greek Salad Recipes to Try
- Greek Chickpea Salad
- Greek Cobb Salad
- Greek Potato Salad
- Greek Panzanella
- 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
Heidi
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.
Heidi
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!!
Heidi
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!
Heidi
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 couldnโt find white balsamic at Trader Joeโs. 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!
Heidi
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.