Quick Feta Pasta Salad

Here is my favorite feta pasta salad recipe, with tons of fresh veggies like cucumber, tomatoes, and bell peppers, tangy feta cheese, and a simple homemade Greek dressing with red wine vinegar and herbs.

This pasta salad is perfect for potlucks, barbecues, or just an easy weeknight dinner when it’s too hot to cook. I love that you can make it ahead of time, and it actually tastes better the next day after all the flavors have had time to soak in.

What Kind of Feta Should I Use?

For pasta salad, you have a few options when it comes to feta cheese. You can buy it pre-crumbled in a container, which is super convenient and saves time, or you can get a block of feta and crumble it yourself. If you go with the block, you’ll notice it tends to be creamier and less dry than the pre-crumbled stuff, plus it often has better flavor since it hasn’t been sitting around as long. Traditional Greek feta made from sheep’s milk has the most authentic taste, but the cow’s milk versions you find at most grocery stores work just fine too. Just keep in mind that feta packed in brine will be saltier and tangier, so you might want to rinse it quickly if you prefer a milder flavor.

Options for Substitutions

This pasta salad is super forgiving and works well with different ingredients you might have on hand:

• Rotini pasta: Any short pasta shape works great here – try penne, fusilli, farfalle, or bowtie pasta. They all hold the dressing nicely and are easy to eat.
• Feta cheese: If you’re not a feta fan, try crumbled goat cheese for a similar tangy taste, or use cubed mozzarella for a milder flavor. You could also skip the cheese entirely for a dairy-free version.
• Greek dressing: Making your own is easy with the red wine vinegar, olive oil, and spices listed. If you need a store-bought substitute, Italian dressing works in a pinch.
• Bell pepper: Use whatever color you prefer – red, yellow, orange, or green all work. You can also swap in roasted red peppers from a jar for extra flavor.
• Olives: Kalamata olives are traditional, but black or green olives work too. Not an olive person? Just leave them out or add extra cucumber instead.
• Red onion: If raw onion is too strong for you, try soaking the chopped onion in cold water for 10 minutes first, or use green onions for a milder taste.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake people make with pasta salad is not cooking the pasta al dente – if it’s too soft, it’ll turn mushy once you mix it with the dressing, so pull it off the heat about a minute before the package directions suggest.

Skipping the cold water rinse is another common error that leads to clumpy pasta, as rinsing stops the cooking process and removes excess starch that would otherwise make everything stick together.

Don’t dress your salad immediately after mixing – let it chill in the fridge for at least an hour so the flavors can blend together, and always save a little extra dressing on the side since pasta tends to absorb it as it sits.

One more tip: add your feta cheese right before serving rather than letting it sit in the salad for hours, which keeps it from getting too soft and helps it maintain its creamy texture.

What to Serve With Feta Pasta Salad?

This pasta salad is pretty filling on its own, but it pairs really well with grilled chicken, steak, or shrimp if you want to add some protein. It’s also a great side dish for summer cookouts alongside burgers, hot dogs, or grilled kabobs. I love serving it with pita bread and hummus for a Mediterranean-style meal, or you can keep things simple with some garlic bread on the side. Since the salad is already packed with veggies, you don’t need much else, but a light soup like lemon chicken orzo would round out the meal nicely if you’re feeding a crowd.

Storage Instructions

Store: This pasta salad actually gets better after sitting in the fridge for a few hours, so it’s perfect for making ahead! Keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The pasta will soak up some of the dressing as it sits, so you might want to add a splash more dressing before serving if it looks a bit dry.

Make Ahead: I love prepping this the night before a party or gathering. The flavors really blend together nicely overnight. Just give it a good stir before serving and taste to see if it needs a bit more salt, pepper, or a drizzle of olive oil to freshen it up.

Serve: This salad is best served cold or at room temperature. If you’ve had it in the fridge, let it sit out for about 15 minutes before serving so the flavors can wake up a bit. Give it a quick toss to redistribute the dressing and you’re good to go!

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 2500-2700
• Protein: 45-55 g
• Fat: 135-150 g
• Carbohydrates: 285-300 g

Ingredients

For the pasta salad:

• 18 oz dry pasta
• 1 large cucumber (peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch half moons)
• 1.5 pints tomatoes
• 1 large bell pepper (seeded and diced into 1/2-inch pieces)
• 3/4 cup olives
• 3/4 cup crumbled feta
• 1/2 cup finely diced red onion
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

For the dressing:

• 1.25 cups greek dressing
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1.5 tsp oregano
• salt to taste
• freshly ground black pepper to taste

Step 1: Prepare All Fresh Vegetables

• 1 large cucumber, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch half moons
• 1.5 pints tomatoes, halved or quartered
• 1 large bell pepper, seeded and diced into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup red onion, finely diced

While the pasta water comes to a boil, prepare all your vegetables to save time later.

Peel and slice the cucumber into 1/4-inch half moons, dice the bell pepper into 1/2-inch pieces, halve or quarter the tomatoes depending on their size, and finely dice the red onion.

Place each prepared vegetable in separate bowls or on a cutting board.

I like to prepare the onion last since its pungent aroma can linger on your knife and cutting board.

Step 2: Cook the Pasta

• 18 oz dry pasta

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil and add the dry pasta.

Cook according to package directions until al dente (firm to the bite), which typically takes 8-12 minutes depending on the pasta shape.

Drain the pasta in a colander and immediately rinse under cold running water until completely cooled—this stops the cooking process and prevents the pasta from becoming mushy in the salad.

Step 3: Make the Greek Dressing

• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1.5 tsp oregano
• salt to taste
• freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the red wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, garlic powder, and oregano until well combined.

Taste and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to your preference.

This homemade dressing will give you much better flavor than relying solely on the pre-made Greek dressing, which I find tends to be too heavy on its own.

Step 4: Combine and Dress the Salad

• cooled pasta from Step 2
• prepared vegetables from Step 1
• 3/4 cup olives
• 3/4 cup crumbled feta
• Greek dressing from Step 3
• 1.25 cups pre-made Greek dressing
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

In a large serving bowl, add the cooled pasta from Step 2 along with all the prepared vegetables from Step 1, the olives, and crumbled feta.

Pour in both the homemade dressing from Step 3 and the Greek dressing, then gently toss everything together until all components are evenly coated and distributed.

Finish with the fresh chopped parsley and give one final gentle toss to incorporate it throughout.

Quick Feta Pasta Salad

Delicious Quick Feta Pasta Salad recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 2600

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

For the pasta salad::

• 18 oz dry pasta
• 1 large cucumber (peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch half moons)
• 1.5 pints tomatoes
• 1 large bell pepper (seeded and diced into 1/2-inch pieces)
• 3/4 cup olives
• 3/4 cup crumbled feta
• 1/2 cup finely diced red onion
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

For the dressing::

• 1.25 cups greek dressing
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1.5 tsp oregano
• salt to taste
• freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method

 

1. While the pasta water comes to a boil, prepare all your vegetables to save time later. Peel and slice the cucumber into 1/4-inch half moons, dice the bell pepper into 1/2-inch pieces, halve or quarter the tomatoes depending on their size, and finely dice the red onion. Place each prepared vegetable in separate bowls or on a cutting board. I like to prepare the onion last since its pungent aroma can linger on your knife and cutting board.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil and add the dry pasta. Cook according to package directions until al dente (firm to the bite), which typically takes 8-12 minutes depending on the pasta shape. Drain the pasta in a colander and immediately rinse under cold running water until completely cooled—this stops the cooking process and prevents the pasta from becoming mushy in the salad.
3. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the red wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, garlic powder, and oregano until well combined. Taste and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to your preference. This homemade dressing will give you much better flavor than relying solely on the pre-made Greek dressing, which I find tends to be too heavy on its own.
4. In a large serving bowl, add the cooled pasta from Step 2 along with all the prepared vegetables from Step 1, the olives, and crumbled feta. Pour in both the homemade dressing from Step 3 and the Greek dressing, then gently toss everything together until all components are evenly coated and distributed. Finish with the fresh chopped parsley and give one final gentle toss to incorporate it throughout.