Greek Pasta Salad (Print Version)
Mediterranean pasta tossed with fresh vegetables, feta cheese, olives, and a zesty Greek vinaigrette dressing.
# What You Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 8 oz short pasta (penne, fusilli, or rotini)
→ Vegetables
02 - 1 small cucumber, diced
03 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
04 - 1 small red bell pepper, diced
05 - ½ small red onion, thinly sliced
→ Cheese & Olives
06 - 3.5 oz feta cheese, crumbled
07 - ⅓ cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
→ Greek Vinaigrette
08 - ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
09 - 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
10 - 1 tsp dried oregano
11 - 1 garlic clove, minced
12 - ½ tsp sea salt, or to taste
13 - ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
# How to Prepare:
01 - Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold running water until completely cooled.
02 - In a large salad bowl, combine the diced cucumber, halved cherry tomatoes, diced red bell pepper, and thinly sliced red onion.
03 - Add the cooled pasta to the bowl with the vegetables. Toss in the crumbled feta cheese and sliced Kalamata olives.
04 - In a small bowl, whisk together the extra-virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, dried oregano, minced garlic, sea salt, and black pepper until emulsified.
05 - Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss gently until everything is evenly coated. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
06 - Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld together.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- It comes together in under 30 minutes, which means you can decide to make it at the last second and still look like you planned ahead.
- The dressing doubles as a marinade for almost anything, so memorize it and thank yourself later.
02 -
- If you skip the rinsing step, the pasta will stick together in clumps and the dressing will slide right off instead of clinging to every piece.
- Resting the salad in the fridge for a full hour instead of 30 minutes transforms the flavor completely, so plan ahead if you can.
03 -
- Make the dressing in a jar with a tight lid so you can shake it to re emulsify right before pouring, and store any extra in the same jar for up to a week.
- Salt the pasta water until it tastes like mild seawater, because that is the only chance you get to season the pasta itself.