Mediterranean Pasta Salad recipe is easy to make with briny olives, juicy cherry tomatoes, purple pops of red onion, and creamy feta crumbled are mixed with rotini and drizzled with homemade lemon-herb vinaigrette to create this bright, colorful and appetizing pasta salad!
Now that the weather’s warming up, it’s high time for the season of picnics, grill-outs, and patio parties to begin!
So to celebrate lets cool off some hot pasta, toss it with a bunch of fresh and zesty ingredients that’s perfect for passing around the picnic.
WHAT ARE THE INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED?
Any great pasta salad recipe is a wonderful blank canvas. And this mediterranean pasta salad has enough mediterraneanflavors of the salty pop of olives and feta cheese against the juicy sweetness of fresh cherry tomatoes and delicate crunch of diced cucumbers.
Here’s what you’ll need for this pasta salad:
- Pasta – I have used rotini for this pasta salad. Any short pasta works perfect for this recipe
- Cucumber – I went with an English cucumber, so that you don’t have to mess with seeding it
- Cherry tomatoes – You could use sun-dried tomatoes here
- Red onion – Feel free to soak it in cold water beforehand if you want a less onion-y taste
- Feta – It adds a hint of creaminess to the pasta salad without using mayo or a creamy salad dressing.
- Olives – Be sure to use pitted olives.
- Lemon-herb Vinaigrette – Just whip up olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, honey, oregano, chilli flakes, garlic, pepper and salt to give it a fresh and flavorful kick
HOW TO MAKE MEDITERRANEAN PASTA SALAD?
Have this pasta salad ready under 30 minutes in just 3 simple steps. Just cook the pasta, make the dressing and combine together with fresh crunchy veggies!
- Pasta: Cook pasta to al dente and run under cold water to stop the cooking. It’s important to not overcook the pasta so it doesn’t break apart and holds up well with the other ingredients.
- Dressing: For the dressing, whisk together or shake the ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and set aside.
- Combine: Place all ingredients in a large bowl and top with dressing. Toss well to combine.
Refrigerate at least one hour. Before serving, garnish with extra crumbled feta cheese, and fresh herbs.
TIPS TO MAKE THE BEST PASTA SALAD:
- Use whatever short pasta you prefer (such as penne, shells, farfalle, rotini, or wagon wheels). You can also use two different shapes as long as they have the same cooking time.
- I prefer pasta with lots of ridges and texture as it allows for the dressing to coat it better and get into all the nooks and crannies.
- It is important to not overcook the pasta or the salad will be mushy. I usually cook it 1 minute less than the package instructions.
- Salt the pasta water. Since this pasta is eaten cold, the flavors tend to get muted. Make sure the pasta is well-salted as it cooks since salting is the only chance you have to season the actual pasta
- Cook the pasta, drain it, and rinse it under cold water to stop the cooking process.
- Toss the pasta with about one-third of the dressing while it’s still warm, and add the remainder before serving. This keeps the pasta from sticking together.
- This Mediterranean pasta salad is easily customizable. Check my variations options below
- Mozzarella balls, goat cheese, or shaved parmesan would also be delicious instead of feta. You may also choose to leave the cheese out entirely to keep this recipe dairy-free and vegan.
- Add some grilled chicken, tuna, shrimps, or chickpeas to make it even more hearty and filling!
- Other fun add-ins could include capers, pine nuts, walnuts, etc the options are endless here!
- Assemble this salad right before eating. This is not a pasta salad that sits well with the dressing.
PASTA SALAD RECIPE VARIATIONS:
This pasta salad is fantastic as-is, but feel free to change it up to match your tastes or the ingredients in your pantry. Here are a few suggestions:
- Use sun dried tomatoes in place of the feta.
- Use goat cheese instead of feta.
- Make it gluten-free by using gluten-free pasta or quinoa in place of traditional noodles.
- Use halved mini mozzarella balls in place of the feta for making capers combo .
- Try another herb like fresh basil, mint, parsley in this salad, and thyme would also be a great addition.
- You can add arugula or spinach in this salad.
- Add roasted chickpeas or croutons or breadsticks for extra crunch.
CAN I MAKE THIS MEDITERRANEAN PASTA SALAD AHEAD OF TIME?
This pasta salad is great served at room temperature or cold. It can be made in advance and will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Just make sure you add the feta cheese, arugula, and the remaining dressing right before serving for a fresh and delicious salad.
HOW LONG WILL PASTA SALAD?
As long as the pasta was cooked al dente, Mediterranean pasta salad will last a good 5 days in the refrigerator.
The salad may need to be drained and a little extra dressing can be added to brighten the flavors. Don’t forget to add a little extra salt and pepper and crumbled feta to make it look brand new again!
I think you are going to love this easy pasta salad recipe! It’s flavorful, simple, quick, satisfying, perfect for warmer weather, and a real crowd pleaser!
Are you making this recipe? Then don’t forget to like and leave your comments for this recipe! I LOVE to see your creations so snap a photo and tag BlendOfSpicesbySara on Instagram with the hashtag #blendofspicesbysara
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Mediterranean Pasta Salad
Ingredients
Mediterranean Pasta Salad:
- 12 ounces dry pasta I used rotini
- 1/2 cup seedless cucumber diced
- 1/2 cup cherry or grape tomatoes halved
- 1/3 cup olives sliced
- 1/2 cup medium red onion thinly sliced
- 4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
Lemon Vinaigrette:
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp vinegar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp dried oregano minced
- 1/4 tsp red chilli flakes
- 1 tsp honey
- 2 small garlic cloves minced
- 1/4 tsp freshly-cracked black pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Cook the pasta al dente in a large stockpot of salted water as per the package instructions.
- Drain pasta, then rinse under cold water for about 20-30 seconds until no longer hot. Transfer the pasta to a large mixing bowl.
- Whisk all lemon vinaigrette ingredients together until combined.
- Add cucumber, tomatoes, olives, feta cheese, and red onion to the mixing bowl, then drizzle all of the vinaigrette evenly on top. Toss until all of the ingredients are evenly coated with the dressing.
- Allow to chill for 20 minutes or serve immediately, garnished with extra feta and black pepper if desired.
