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Greek Pasta Salad with Feta Cheese

Greek pasta salad with feta cheese featuring crisp cucumbers, juicy cherry tomatoes, Kalamata olives, and red onion in a tangy Greek-style vinaigrette. Penne or rotini is cooked until tender, rinsed cold for a firm bite, then chilled for an herby, tang-forward Mediterranean salad.
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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 Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Greek Pasta Salad with Feta Cheese
  • 1 lb penne or rotini pasta Use penne or rotini; any short pasta works.
  • 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
  • 0.25 cup olive oil Olive oil for the dressing.
  • 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 0.01 salt To taste.
  • 0.01 pepper To taste.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 large pot
  • 1 whisk

Method
 

Cook pasta and rinse
  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then cook penne or rotini pasta according to package directions until tender with a firm bite. Drain and rinse under cold water until cooled.
  2. Shake off excess water and spread the pasta on a sheet pan to cool slightly so it doesn’t steam in the bowl; the pieces should look separated, not clumped.
Make the dressing
  1. Whisk olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, minced garlic, dried oregano, salt, and pepper until the mixture looks evenly blended and slightly opaque. Taste and adjust seasoning so it’s balanced and tangy.
Assemble and chill
  1. In a large bowl, combine pasta with cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber, Kalamata olives, thinly sliced red onion, and most of the feta, leaving some feta aside for topping. Toss until everything is evenly distributed.
  2. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently until the pasta and vegetables look lightly coated with vinaigrette. Fold in extra feta if needed for preference.
  3. Refrigerate the salad for at least 1 hour so the flavors meld; it should look juicy and slightly glossy when you pull it out.
  4. Top with the remaining feta right before serving for a visible contrast of white crumbles against red tomatoes and green cucumber.

Notes

Pro tip: rinse the pasta thoroughly with cold water to keep it from absorbing too much dressing and turning soft. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days (best texture within 48 hours); freezing is not recommended because the cucumber and feta can change texture. For a lighter swap, use reduced-fat feta while keeping the olive oil and vinegar ratio the same for a similar tang.