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Greek Tzatziki Pasta Salad

Greek tzatziki pasta salad with penne coated in creamy yogurt tzatziki and crunchy cucumber, tomatoes, and dill. Chilled for at least 1 hour so the pasta soaks up the tangy, garlicky dressing.
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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 Method Notes

Ingredients
  

penne or rotini pasta
  • 1 lb penne or rotini pasta
Greek yogurt
  • 1 cup Greek yogurt
sour cream
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
cucumber
  • 1 cucumber 1 large cucumber, diced (divided); grate half and dice the rest
garlic
  • 2 clove garlic minced
lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
fresh dill
  • 2 tbsp fresh dill chopped
cherry tomatoes
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
red onion
  • 0.5 cup red onion diced
Kalamata olives
  • 0.5 cup Kalamata olives sliced
feta cheese
  • 4 oz feta cheese crumbled
salt and pepper
  • 0.25 salt and pepper to taste

Method
 

Cook and rinse the pasta
  1. Cook the penne or rotini pasta according to package directions until al dente, then drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking and cool it down.
Make the tzatziki sauce
  1. Grate half the cucumber and squeeze out excess moisture, then mix it with Greek yogurt, sour cream, garlic, lemon juice, dill, salt, and pepper until smooth and thick.
Assemble the salad
  1. Combine the pasta with the remaining diced cucumber, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and Kalamata olives in a large bowl for even distribution.
  2. Add the tzatziki sauce and toss to coat, leaving a creamy layer on the pasta and visible cucumber and tomato pieces.
  3. Gently fold in the feta cheese so it stays in small crumbles and doesn’t fully melt into the dressing.
Chill and serve
  1. Refrigerate the Greek tzatziki pasta salad for at least 1 hour before serving so the flavors meld and the dressing thickens.

Notes

Pro tip: squeeze the grated cucumber very well before mixing into the tzatziki to prevent watery dressing. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days; flavors deepen after chilling. Freezing is not recommended because cucumbers and creamy dairy can break down. For a lighter option, replace sour cream with more Greek yogurt or use reduced-fat Greek yogurt.