Greek Pasta Salad
Updated Apr 13, 2026
Easy Greek pasta salad with fusilli, tomatoes, cucumber, olives, and feta tossed in a red wine vinaigrette. Great for meal prep and keeps well all week.
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greek pasta salad!
Greek pasta salad is one of the few things I could eat on repeat and not get sick of. It’s got all the usual Greek salad stuff: tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, olives, and feta, but tossing it with pasta and a quick Greek-style vinaigrette makes it feel like a little more of a full meal to me. It’s the kind of thing I’ll make ahead, stick in the fridge, and grab all week for lunch.
I brought this Greek pasta salad to a cookout recently, and a few people asked for the recipe, which always makes me feel like I did something right! It works as a side, but I’ve definitely piled a big scoop into a bowl and topped it with Air Fryer Shrimp, Pan Seared Salmon, or Yogurt Marinated Chicken and ate it for dinner more than once.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
Greek Pasta Salad Ingredients
- Fusilli pasta: The spirals hold the dressing well, which is why fusilli works here. Cook it to al dente since it will soften a little more as it sits. Drain it well, but don’t rinse it; the starch on the pasta helps the dressing cling. Any short pasta works here if you don’t have fusilli. Penne, bow ties, or elbow pasta are all fine.
- Vegetables: Three ripe tomatoes, one English cucumber, one green pepper, and half a small red onion. English cucumber is the better choice here because it has fewer seeds and less water. If your red onion tastes very sharp, soak the chopped pieces in cold water for about 10 minutes and drain before adding.
- Kalamata olives: Get the pitted kind. If you don’t have kalamata olives, a can of sliced black olives works as a substitute, though the flavor will be milder.
- Feta: Buy a block and crumble it yourself. Pre-crumbled feta is drier and tends to disappear into the salad. Add it at the end, after chilling, so it stays in larger pieces.
- Greek Pasta Salad Dressing: Extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper. Whisk it together directly in the large bowl you plan to use for the salad so the pasta can go straight in after draining.
How to Make Greek Pasta Salad
Greek Pasta Salad Recipe
Greek pasta salad is made with fresh cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions, and feta tossed with al dente pasta and a homemade Greek vinaigrette.
Ingredients
For the Dressing
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
For the Salad
- 8 ounces fusilli pasta
- 3 ripe tomatoes chopped
- 1 English cucumber peeled chopped
- 1 green pepper chopped
- ½ small red onion chopped
- ½ cup kalamata olives
- 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
- To make the dressing, in a large serving bowl whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, oregano, salt and pepper. Set aside in the fridge.
- To make the salad, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook to al dente according to package instructions. Drain the pasta, then add to the large serving bowl with the dressing. Immediately toss with the warm pasta so it can absorb the flavors.
- Add the tomatoes, cucumber, green pepper, red onion, and olives and toss to coat. Chill for 1 hour for flavors to develop. When ready to serve, add the crumbled feta cheese on top and toss gently to combine.
Notes
My Top Tip: Don’t rinse your pasta after cooking! I like to dress my pasta salad hot so the dressing clings to it better without any vinaigrette leftover at the bottom of the dish. Allow the dressing to cool down the pasta.
Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container for about 4-5 days in the fridge.
Nutrition
Serving: 12ounces, Calories: 308kcal, Carbohydrates: 27g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 19g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 12g, Cholesterol: 17mg, Sodium: 497mg, Potassium: 287mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 596IU, Vitamin C: 20mg, Calcium: 122mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Did You Make This Recipe?
Recipe Variations
- Add chickpeas. Stir in 1 cup of drained and rinsed chickpeas for extra protein. It makes the salad more filling without changing the flavor.
- Add pepperoncini. About ¼ cup of sliced pepperoncini adds a mild heat and a little extra brine that works really well here.
- Add artichoke hearts. One 14-ounce can of quartered artichoke hearts, well drained, blends in naturally and adds more to each bite.
- Add sun-dried tomatoes. About ¼ cup of chopped sun-dried tomatoes gives a deeper tomato flavor alongside the fresh ones.
- Try it with tortellini. Swap the fusilli for 8 ounces of cooked cheese tortellini.
Recipe Tips
- Cook your pasta al dente. For any pasta salad recipe, I always recommend cooking the pasta al dente because it keeps the noodles from becoming mushy when you toss them with the dressing.
- Salt your pasta water. There’s a myth that salting the pasta as it boils is supposed to help it cook faster. But that’s not the real reason: It’s purely for flavoring the pasta. It’s much harder to flavor pasta after it’s been cooked!
- Don’t rinse your pasta after cooking. I like to dress my pasta salad hot so the dressing clings to it better without any vinaigrette leftover at the bottom of the dish. Allow the dressing to cool down the pasta.
- Chop your ingredients into bite-sized pieces. Keeping all the ingredients small helps you get a forkful of everything in one bite, and that’s my favorite way to enjoy all the flavors and textures in this Greek pasta salad!
Serving Ideas
- Add meat. This tasty Greek pasta salad is filling enough on its own, but if you’d like to add some meat, try grilled lemon chicken, chicken kabobs, or skillet steak.
- Add other protein. This fresh, salty pasta salad is also so good with seafood or vegetarian protein. Try grilled shrimp skewers, flaked salmon, or crispy air fryer tofu.
- Pair with bread. For sopping up the extra saucy, juicy goods here, I love to serve this Greek pasta salad with French bread dinner rolls, air fryer bread, or olive bread.
Comments
Looking forward to trying this Greek Pasta Salad
I hope you like it, Penny!
I was confused on the spices and used sumac instead of za’atar. I really liked it! It gave a real lemony taste which was very refreshing!
Yay, a happy mistake!! Za’atar is a spice mixture with sumac in it so it makes sense that the flavor still worked. Thanks, Joyce!!
I made this recipe for a Friday evening picnic and it went down a treat!
I followed the recipe as it is but added a tsp of maple syrup to the dressing as well. It was quick, easy and fuss free.
It was fun to make this as this was my go to dish 25 years ago when I first started to learn to cook for myself. I didn’t follow a recipe at the time and my dressing I could never get quite right, so I bought a store one which I always used too much of. It was good to see exactly how to make the dish, what quantities/ingredients to use etc. I would say this recipe here is spot on for me. I will be making this again.
That’s amazing! This must’ve been so nostalgic. Glad you enjoyed!
I’m not much of a chef but I made your Greek pasta salad for our cookout last night and it was a total hit! Thank you!
I’m so glad you gave it a try and enjoyed it! You’re so welcome!
This recipe is amazing and super simple. It was easy and my family loved it!
Yay! That makes me so happy to hear. Thanks so much!
How can I substitute red wine vinegar?
You can use any other acid like apple cider vinegar, white distilled vinegar, balsamic vinegar or lemon juice!
Light, fresh and easy summer salad.