I loveeee pasta salad. It honestly might be my favorite summer side dish. I already have a recipe for a Fresh Pasta Salad and surprisingly it’s one of my most popular recipes on my blog, so I wanted to do a spin off! I created a similar, simple dressing packed with herbs and topped the dish with olives and feta cheese. Who knew dressing on pasta would be so good? 🙂
Recipe tips:
- Make ahead of time: I suggest making this at least 2 hours in advance to allow the flavors to enhance! If I am making this for a get together, I will make it the night before and let it sit overnight in the fridge. Sometimes I’m not that organized and you can eat it right away, but the flavors will be 100% better the longer it sits.
- Pasta: You can use whatever type of pasta you want! I love the bow ties because they’re cute and a little different than the traditional penne, but it’s cook’s choice! I’ve also used gluten free pasta and it’s really tasty!
- Oregano: This recipe calls for Greek oregano. I haven’t been able to find it in my spice aisle, but I have found it in the area where you can buy spice in bulk. This is usually in the area of the store where you can buy nuts or granola in bulk. If you can’t find it, you can use normal oregano! It will still be tasty but the Greek oregano really does make a difference!
This recipe is so easy and the perfect accompaniment to any summer meal. As I mentioned above, if you have the time try to make this at least 2 hours in advance. Before serving, stir to redistribute the dressing. If the dish has been in the refrigerator for a while, it might seem like all of the dressing is gone. Let the pasta salad come to room temperature or pop it in the microwave for thirty seconds. Let me know if you like it in the comments!
Greek Pasta Salad
Ingredients
For the pasta salad:
- 1 lb bow tie pasta
- 1 cup seedless cucumber, diced
- ½ cup red onion, diced small
- 1 2.5 oz can sliced black olives
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- 1 green pepper, diced
- 8 oz feta cheese
For the dressing:
- ¾ cup olive oil
- ½ cup red wine vinegar
- 3 tbsp Greek oregano fresh or dried but you can also use normal Oregano too!
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dill fresh or dried
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the package and drain. You will want to move quickly on the next step because you want the pasta to still be warm when you mix it all together.
- In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the pasta salad. In a smaller bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the dressing and whisk until it all comes together, about 1 minute. Add the pasta to the large bowl and pour the dressing over top. Stir to mix in all of the ingredients and until all of the noodles are coated with the dressing. Refrigerate before serving.