Greek Pasta Salad with Feta (Print View)
Colorful Mediterranean pasta toss with feta, olives, crisp veggies, and tangy lemon dressing.
# What You Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 10 oz short pasta (penne, rotini, or fusilli)
→ Vegetables
02 - 1 English cucumber, diced
03 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
04 - 7 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
05 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
06 - 3.5 oz Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
→ Cheese & Herbs
07 - 5 oz feta cheese, cubed or crumbled
08 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
09 - 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped (optional)
→ Dressing
10 - 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
11 - 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
12 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
13 - 1 garlic clove, minced
14 - ½ teaspoon salt
15 - ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
16 - Zest of 1 lemon
# How-To Steps:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the short pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain through a colander and rinse thoroughly under cold running water to halt cooking and cool the pasta completely.
02 - In a large salad bowl, toss together the cooled pasta, diced cucumber, diced red bell pepper, halved cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced red onion, and halved Kalamata olives.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, dried oregano, minced garlic, salt, freshly ground black pepper, and lemon zest until well emulsified.
04 - Pour the prepared dressing over the salad ingredients and toss gently but thoroughly to ensure even coating throughout.
05 - Gently fold in the feta cheese, chopped parsley, and dill if using, taking care not to break up the cheese cubes too much.
06 - Taste the salad and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld together.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- The lemon zest in the dressing does something sneaky and bright that makes people go back for thirds without knowing why.
- It survives heat, travel, and sitting out longer than you planned, which honestly describes most of my summer gatherings.
02 -
- Do not skip the rinse after draining the pasta, because residual heat will turn your salad into a warm, gummy mess before it ever reaches the fridge.
- Block feta crumbled by hand tastes milkier and richer than anything from a pre crumbled tub, and the texture difference is genuinely noticeable.
03 -
- Rub the dried oregano between your palms directly over the dressing bowl to release far more aroma and flavor than simply shaking it from the jar.
- Zest the lemon before you juice it and use a microplane, because the fine zest melts into the dressing while thick strips sit there like confetti and annoy people.