Greek Pasta Salad with Feta (Print Version)

Vibrant Mediterranean pasta tossed with feta, olives, and a zesty lemon-herb dressing.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 10 oz short pasta (penne, rotini, or fusilli)

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 English cucumber, diced
03 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
04 - 7 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
05 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
06 - 3.5 oz Kalamata olives, pitted and halved

→ Cheese & Herbs

07 - 5 oz feta cheese, cubed or crumbled
08 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
09 - 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped (optional)

→ Dressing

10 - 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
11 - 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
12 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
13 - 1 garlic clove, minced
14 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
15 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
16 - Zest of 1 lemon

# Directions:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the short pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain through a colander and rinse thoroughly under cold running water to halt cooking and cool the pasta completely.
02 - In a large salad bowl, toss together the cooled pasta, diced cucumber, diced red bell pepper, halved cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced red onion, and halved Kalamata olives until evenly distributed.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, dried oregano, minced garlic, salt, freshly ground black pepper, and lemon zest until the mixture is well emulsified and smooth.
04 - Pour the prepared dressing over the pasta and vegetable mixture. Toss gently but thoroughly to ensure every component is evenly coated with the vinaigrette.
05 - Carefully fold in the crumbled or cubed feta cheese, chopped fresh parsley, and dill if using, taking care not to break apart the feta cubes excessively.
06 - Taste the salad and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld together.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The dressing doubles as a marinade for chicken or roasted vegetables, so you get two recipes for the price of one.
  • It tastes even better the next day, which means you can make it ahead and actually enjoy your own party instead of cooking through it.
  • Everything chops up in the time it takes the pasta to boil, so the whole thing comes together in under thirty minutes flat.
02 -
  • Rinsing the pasta is essential here because residual heat will continue cooking it and turn your salad mushy within hours.
  • If you assemble the salad more than a day ahead, the cucumber releases water and dilutes the dressing, so keep the dressing separate if you need to make it two days in advance.
  • The lemon zest can turn bitter if it sits too long, so add it as close to serving time as possible for the brightest flavor.
03 -
  • Cube the feta rather than crumbling it if you want those satisfying little pockets of salty cheese throughout the salad rather than a dusty coating.
  • Make the dressing first and let it sit while you chop vegetables so the dried oregano has time to rehydrate and the garlic mellows in the acid.

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