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Greek Pasta Salad

Greek pasta salad with a lemon-oregano dressing and traditional Greek salad ingredients. Penne or rotini is cooked, rinsed cold, then tossed for a bright, tangy pasta salad with feta, olives, cucumber, and tomato.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Greek
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

penne or rotini pasta
  • 1 lb penne or rotini pasta
cherry tomatoes
  • 2 cup cherry tomatoes halved
cucumber
  • 1 cucumber large, diced
Kalamata olives
  • 1 cup Kalamata olives pitted and halved
red onion
  • 0.5 cup red onion thinly sliced
feta cheese
  • 8 oz feta cheese crumbled, divided for topping
olive oil
  • 0.25 cup olive oil
lemon juice
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice
red wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
garlic
  • 2 clove garlic minced
fresh oregano
  • 1 tbsp fresh oregano or 1 tsp dried
salt
  • 0.25 tsp salt to taste
black pepper
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Cook the pasta
  1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook penne or rotini pasta according to package directions, usually 8–10 minutes, until tender. Drain and rinse thoroughly with cold water, then spread on a sheet pan to cool for 5 minutes.
Make the lemon-oregano dressing
  1. Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper until the mixture looks uniform and glossy.
Assemble and chill
  1. Combine cooled pasta, halved cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber, pitted-and-halved Kalamata olives, and thinly sliced red onion in a large bowl.
  2. Add most of the crumbled feta and gently toss so the cheese is distributed throughout the pasta.
  3. Pour the lemon-oregano dressing over the salad and toss gently until everything is evenly coated.
  4. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours so the pasta absorbs the dressing and the flavors meld.
Serve
  1. Top the pasta salad with the remaining feta just before serving for a fresh, salty bite.

Notes

Pro tip: rinse the pasta with cold water right after draining to stop the cooking and keep the salad from turning mushy. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; the texture stays best if you add the remaining feta right before serving. Freezing isn’t recommended because the cucumbers and feta can soften and release water. For a dairy-light option, swap feta with a plant-based feta style and use the same lemon-oregano dressing.