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Enjoy this delicious and easy Greek pasta salad recipe, made with tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, and pasta, and a simple olive oil lemon dressing. This tasty dish is guaranteed to be a hit at your next cookout or potluck!
I love creamy pasta salads like Hawaiian macaroni salad and macaroni tuna salad, but sometimes I crave a lighter version. This Greek pasta salad is mayo-less but still delicious and satisfying. It’s super easy to put together and makes the best side dish or main course.
Ingredient Notes
- Pasta – I used Gemelli pasta but any short-shaped pasta such as penne, shells, or rotini pasta will work. Make sure to cook it until it’s al-dente.
- Olive Oil – Use a good quality olive oil for best results.
- Feta Cheese – If you’re not a fan of feta cheese you can use goat cheese or fresh mozzarella instead.
- Olives – Kalamata olives are best for a more authentic version but feta stuffed olives are great too.
- Onions – I recommend using thinly sliced red onions but Vidalia onions or yellow onions will also work.
Step-By-Step Instructions
- Cook the pasta in boiling salted water according to package instructions. Drain the pasta and allow it to cool completely.
- In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, grated garlic, oregano, parsley, and lemon juice. Mix until well combined and season with salt and pepper.
- Transfer the cooled pasta and remaining ingredients into a large bowl. Toss with the olive oil mixture and season with salt and pepper.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Top Tips and Substitutions
- If you want to make this Greek Pasta Salad for your vegan friends, leave out the Feta cheese.
- If you’re not a fan of tangy dressings, add a pinch of sugar or honey to the dressing to sweeten things up.
- Feel free to include hard-boiled eggs, spicy peppers, or bacon.
- Don’t have olive oil? Use any type of oil you have on hand.
- Season generously with lots of salt and pepper for best results.
- I prefer to serve this Greek pasta salad chilled or at room temperature, but if you’re in a rush, you can serve it hot.
- Don’t have lemons? Use red wine vinegar instead.
- If you don’t have garlic cloves use 1 tsp of granulated garlic.
What Can I Serve This With?
I love serving this salad with Oven-Baked BBQ Chicken, Chicken Meatballs, or Southern Fried Shrimp.
Storage
This Greek pasta salad will stay fresh in the fridge for up to 4 days, which makes this an ideal dish to prepare in advance.
More Pasta Salad Recipes You Might Enjoy
Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. And consider following me on Facebook or Pinterest!
Greek Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 lb Gemelli pasta , cooked al-dente
- 1 cucumber , sliced
- 1/2 cup feta cheese
- 1 cup grape tomatoes , halved
- 1 red onion , thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup kalamata olives
Olive Oil Dressing
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 lemons, juiced
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley , finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves , grated
- salt and pepper to taste
- pinch of sugar , optional
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in boiling salted water according to package instructions. Drain the pasta and allow it to cool completely.
- In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, grated garlic, oregano, parsley, and lemon juice. Mix until well combined and season with salt and pepper.
- Add the cooled pasta and remaining ingredients to a large bowl. Toss with the olive oil mixture and season with salt and pepper.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- If you want to make this for your vegan friends, make sure to omit the Feta cheese.
- Add a pinch of sugar or honey to the dressing to sweeten things up if you’re not a fan of tangy dressings.
- Feel free to include hard-boiled eggs, spicy peppers, or bacon.
- Don’t have olive oil? Use any type of oil you have on hand.
- Season very generously with lots of salt and pepper for best results.
- I prefer to serve this Greek pasta salad chilled or at room temperature but if you’re in a rush you can serve it hot.
- Don’t have lemons? Use red wine vinegar instead.
- If you don’t have garlic cloves use 1 tsp of granulated garlic.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
