Greek Pasta Salad

This easy Greek pasta salad is loaded with fresh veggies, creamy feta cheese, and a tangy homemade Greek dressing to create the best pasta salad you’ll ever eat. Make it for lunch or serve it as an easy side with dinner.

I don’t know about you, but I love having a small list of go-to recipes every season that I can can whip up for just about any occasion.

This Greek pasta is my go-to salad for birthday parties, barbecues, or even just a random Tuesday night.

Serve it up alongside grilled chicken and you have the perfect summer weeknight dinner.

My favorite Greek pasta salad recipe

I love pasta salads for lunch. Whether it’s Greek Orzo Salad, Tortellini Pasta Salad, this Greek pasta salad, or any other pasta-and-dressing combo, I’m into it.

I love this particular pasta salad for so many reasons, but my favorite thing about it is that it feeds a crowd. So whether you want to prep a week’s worth of lunches or feed your family on a warm summer night, this pasta salad is perfect for you.

The ingredient list for this recipe may seem a little bit long, but the beauty about pasta salad recipes is that you can totally adapt them to meet your taste or the ingredients that you have on hand. 

And if you have a garden or frequent your local farmer’s market, you’re golden because this recipe is full of fresh vegetables!

Go crazy with the veggies, but for the love of Pete, don’t forget the feta. Feta cheese makes everything better, and you NEED it in this pasta salad in all its salty glory.

And no, I know. Pepperoni is not traditional in a Greek salad. You can totally leave it out if you want! But I love the flavor it adds.

If you want, you could even swap out the pepperoni for some shredded rotisserie chicken.

Homemade Greek dressing

The true star of this salad is the incredible homemade Greek salad dressing that pulls all of the flavors together. It’s tangy and herby and creates what is, in my opinion, the best pasta salad you’ll ever eat.

To make the dressing, you’ll need:

• Olive oil
• Red wine vinegar
• Garlic powder
• Dried basil
• Dried oregano
• Za’atar
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Granulated sugar

Just add all of the dressing ingredients to a mason jar, pop on the lid, and give it a shake. 

This dressing is so good that you might just want to make it and serve it over green salads, too! Save the recipe and add it to your repertoire of homemade salad dressings along with homemade blue cheese dressing and homemade ranch dressing.

How to make this Greek pasta salad

Other ingredients you’ll need

Once you’ve got the dressing made, the other ingredients you’ll need for the salad include:

• Cooked pasta: I typically use rotini, but you can use any short pasta shape you like, such as farfalle or penne. Cook the pasta to al dente in a large pot of salted water according to the package directions.
• Cherry tomatoes: I like to slice these in half. Grape tomatoes are also perfect here.
• Cucumber: You can use an English cucumber or Persian cucumber. If using an English cucumber, I recommend peeling it in addition to removing the seeds and dicing it.
• Red bell pepper: Chopped
• Green bell pepper: Chopped
• Green onions: Thinly sliced
• Kalamata olives: Pitted, of course! Feel free to halve or quarter these as desired.
• Feta cheese: You can buy this pre-crumbled or buy a block and crumble it yourself.
• Pepperoni: Sliced 

Making the salad

In a large mixing bowl, gently toss the cooked pasta with the tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, green onions, olives, feta, and pepperoni.

Set aside 1/2 cup of the dressing and store it in the refrigerator for later.

Toss the remaining salad dressing with the salad ingredients until well combined. Cover and chill for at least a few hours, but overnight is better.

Before serving, add the reserved salad dressing to freshen up the pasta salad.

Recipe variations

The beauty of making pasta salad is that it’s so versatile. The recipe in the card below is my family’s favorite version of this Greek pasta salad, but there are so many ways you can switch things up.

Make it vegetarian: Omit the pepperoni and add in a can of drained and rinsed chickpeas or other white beans, such as cannellini beans.

Make it gluten free: Use your favorite gluten-free pasta, cooked according to the packaged directions.

Use a store-bought dressing: I really love this simple homemade Greek dressing, but you can always use a bottle of store-bought Greek salad dressing if you need a faster shortcut!

Swap out the protein: Swap the pepperoni for another protein, such as shredded cooked chicken or sliced salami.

Add fresh herbs: Finish the salad with some chopped fresh parsley or a few sprigs of fresh dill.

Swap out the veggies: Other vegetables my family loves include chopped artichoke hearts, sliced banana peppers, sliced mushrooms, zucchini, or thinly sliced red onion.

Storage and make-ahead tips

I personally find that this Greek pasta salad is best when it has time to refrigerate overnight before serving. This allows the pasta to really soak up the vinaigrette and for all of the flavors to meld.

I do like to reserve some of the dressing so I can toss to combine it with the salad just before serving. If you’re taking this salad to a potluck, picnic, or cookout, you can add the reserved dressing just before you leave home or right before eating.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Do not freeze.

Frequently asked questions