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Mediterranean Chicken Pasta Salad

Mediterranean chicken pasta salad with lemon-herb dressing, tossed with penne, grilled chicken, feta, olives, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Chilled for at least 1 hour so the pasta soaks up the flavor for an easy meal-prep protein salad.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
chilling 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

penne pasta
  • 1 lb penne pasta
grilled chicken breast, sliced
  • 2 cup grilled chicken breast, sliced
cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
cucumber, diced
  • 1 cup cucumber, diced
Kalamata olives, sliced
  • 0.5 cup Kalamata olives, sliced
red onion, diced
  • 0.5 cup red onion, diced
feta cheese, crumbled
  • 6 oz feta cheese, crumbled
olive oil
  • 0.25 cup olive oil
lemon juice
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice
garlic, minced
  • 2 garlic, minced
fresh oregano
  • 1 tbsp fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried)
salt and pepper
  • 1 salt and pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Cook and chill the base
  1. Cook the penne pasta according to package directions until tender, then drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. The pasta should look separate and no longer steaming.
Make the lemon-herb dressing
  1. Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper until the mixture looks glossy and evenly combined. Make sure there are no visible garlic clumps.
Assemble the salad
  1. Combine pasta, grilled chicken breast, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, Kalamata olives, and red onion in a large bowl. The bowl should be colorful with even distribution of ingredients.
  2. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine until everything is lightly coated. The pasta should look slick with dressing rather than dry.
  3. Gently fold in feta cheese so it stays in soft crumbles without breaking down. You should still see distinct white flecks throughout.
Chill before serving
  1. Refrigerate the Mediterranean chicken pasta salad for at least 1 hour before serving. It should be thoroughly chilled with dressing set lightly onto the pasta.

Notes

For best texture, rinse the hot pasta with cold water right after draining so it stays firm in the salad. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; the salad freezes poorly due to cucumber and feta texture, so freezing isn’t recommended. If you want a lighter option, use reduced-fat feta and keep the olive oil at 1/4 cup for a similar flavor with fewer calories.