Description
This simple Greek Pasta Salad combines crunchy vegetables, al dente bowtie pasta, and a savory homemade Greek dressing with tangy feta cheese for a refreshing and flavorful summer dish perfect for potlucks, cookouts, or light meals.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad
- 8 ounces bowtie pasta
- 1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes, sliced in half
- 1 seedless cucumber, sliced into half-circles or quarters
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 small red onion, diced
- 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, drained
- 2/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled or cubed
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Dressing
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup water
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- 1 teaspoon dried mint
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cook Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the bowtie pasta according to the package directions until al dente. Drain well and rinse under cold water to cool and stop cooking.
- Prepare Vegetables: While the pasta cooks, chop the grape tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, and red onion. Add all the chopped vegetables along with the Kalamata olives, crumbled feta cheese, and chopped fresh parsley into a large mixing bowl.
- Make Dressing: Combine olive oil, water, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, honey, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, dried oregano, dill, mint, sea salt, and black pepper in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake vigorously until well mixed and emulsified.
- Combine Salad: Add the cooled and drained pasta to the bowl with the chopped vegetables and feta. Pour the homemade Greek dressing over the salad, then toss gently but thoroughly to evenly coat all ingredients.
Notes
- The salad is best enjoyed the same day as prepared because the pasta will absorb dressing and get soggy over time.
- If your red onions are very pungent, soak them in ice water for 10 minutes before adding to the salad to mellow the flavor.
- You can substitute bowtie pasta with rotini, fusilli, shells, or macaroni for similar texture and appearance.
- For a gluten-free version, substitute the pasta with quinoa or rice.
- Add grilled chicken or shrimp to make this salad a full meal.
- This salad should not be frozen as the texture will degrade upon thawing.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Greek
Keywords: Greek pasta salad, cold pasta salad, summer salad, feta pasta salad, bowtie pasta salad, vegetarian pasta salad
