Greek Pasta Salad with Spinach

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

4.88 from 16 votes

Greek Pasta Salad with Spinach

Easy Greek Pasta Salad - perfect make-ahead side dish for parties and picnics.  A simple salad that combines al dente pasta, healthy veggies, and a Greek salad dressing. Tastes like something you would eat in a Mediterranean restaurant.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine Greek

Servings 4 people

Calories per serving 432 kcal

Author: Julia

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 Information

Greek Pasta Salad with Spinach

Amount per Serving

Calories

432

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

21

g

32

%

Saturated Fat

 

5

g

31

%

Cholesterol

 

16

mg

5

%

Sodium

 

518

mg

23

%

Potassium

 

549

mg

16

%

Carbohydrates

 

49

g

16

%

Fiber

 

3

g

13

%

Sugar

 

4

g

4

%

Protein

 

12

g

24

%

Vitamin A

 

4495

IU

90

%

Vitamin C

 

33.7

mg

41

%

Calcium

 

166

mg

17

%

Iron

 

2.7

mg

15

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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.

Keyword Greek Pasta Salad

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