Easy Greek Pasta Salad makes a perfect side dish or lunch! A crowd favorite recipe - great for parties, picnics, and potlucks. Toss together al dente penne pasta, cherry tomatoes, chopped olives, spinach, and creamy feta cheese! Pour in a homemade Greek salad vinaigrette! This salad is healthy, refreshing, and loaded with veggies!
There are all kinds of Greek pasta salads out there. I wanted to make a salad that would be a little bit different from a regular Greek salad. A simple salad that would combine pasta, veggies, and a homemade or store-bought Greek salad dressing.
I decided to use spinach, chopped olives, cherry tomatoes, and creamy Feta. I omitted the "usual" Greek salad ingredients, such as cucumbers, artichokes, and bell peppers. This healthy salad tastes like something you would eat in a Mediterranean restaurant! So good and refreshing! Especially when combined with something like these easy Italian ravioli.
Fresh Mediterranean-style salads are always a welcome addition to any dinner table. My other two favorites are Greek tortellini salad and tomato mozzarella salad.
Greek pasta salad is always a favorite side dish at parties, barbecues or potlucks. It's a great make-ahead dish - simple and quick. Combine this easy salad with grilled chicken or Mediterranean chicken with sun-dried tomatoes to make a complete meal!
Greek Pasta Salad
- Greek salad is a highly flexible side dish. You can use many kinds of veggies. Use regular tomatoes or sun-dried tomatoes. Use artichokes, bell peppers, cucumbers, red onions, green onions.
- There are many ways you can add a Mediterranean accent to the Greek salad. Use capers, olives, or marinated bell peppers. You can also try roasted sweet peppers or marinated mild pepperoncini peppers.
Variations
- Make this Greek salad gluten free by using gluten free pasta. There are so many varieties of fun pasta on the market these days. Use gluten-free lentil pasta, quinoa pasta, brown rice pasta, etc.
- This recipe is adaptable to any type of short pasta. Try rotini, rigatoni, bow ties, penne, macaroni, spiral pasta.
- Want a creamier salad dressing? Add Greek yogurt.
- Use pitted black olives or pitted calamata olives.
- Use a homemade or store-bought Greek salad dressing. Either way, this quick and easy salad will be a delicious side dish.
How to make Greek Pasta Salad
- Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water. Rinse with cold water. Drain.
- In a large bowl, combine cooked pasta, chopped spinach, and sliced cherry tomatoes. Add sliced black olives, and crumbled Feta cheese.
- Pour Greek Salad Vinaigrette to the bowl with the salad ingredients. Mix to combine.
How to make Greek Salad Dressing
- In a medium bowl, combine together olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, minced garlic. Whisk together until emulsified.
- Add Greek yogurt to make the salad dressing creamier (OPTIONAL).
More Pasta Salad Recipes
- Broccoli Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
- Basil Pesto Tortellini with Chicken and Zucchini
- Pesto Chicken Tortellini with Veggies
Greek Pasta Salad with Spinach
Ingredients
Greek Salad Dressing
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- salt and pepper , to taste
Greek Pasta Salad
- 8 oz penne pasta , uncooked
- 6 oz spinach , fresh, chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes , yellow, each sliced in half
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes , red, each sliced in half
- ½ cup black olives , pitted, thinly sliced
- ½ cup feta cheese , crumbled
Instructions
Cook pasta
- Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente. Rinse with cold water. Drain.
How to make Greek vinaigrette
- In a medium bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, minced garlic.
How to make Greek pasta salad
- In a large bowl combine cooked penne pasta, chopped spinach, and sliced cherry tomatoes. Add sliced black olives, and crumbled feta cheese.
- Pour the salad dressing over the pasta salad. Stir to combine.
Notes
- This Greek pasta salad tastes the best if you let it rest for 2 hours. This allows the flavors to get absorbed.
- Store the salad in the fridge for up to 4 days, in an airtight container.
- After you added the dressing, season the salad with salt and pepper, if needed.
- For creamier dressing add a touch of Greek yogurt.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Thanks for the great recipe. Not to acidic and not to olive oily. I subbed some of the tomatoes with some yellow pepper, but I'm sure it'd be great without it.