If there’s one side dish I find myself making on repeat once the weather starts warming up, it’s pasta salad. It’s easy, fresh, feeds a crowd, and somehow tastes even better after sitting in the fridge for a little while. With summer right around the corner, this Pesto Pasta Salad with Feta is the kind of recipe you’ll want to bring to every cookout, pool day, picnic, and weeknight dinner.
This version is packed with fresh basil pesto, juicy cherry tomatoes, crisp cucumber, tangy feta cheese, and parmesan for the perfect balance of bright and savory flavors. It’s simple enough for an easy lunch but flavorful enough to steal the spotlight at your next summer gathering.
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS PASTA SALAD
- Fresh and vibrant flavors perfect for spring and summer
- Easy to make ahead for parties or meal prep
- Tangy feta gives it so much more flavor than traditional mozzarella
- Comes together with simple ingredients
- Great as a side dish or add grilled chicken for a full meal
RECIPE TIPS
- Use an English cucumber if possible. The skin is thinner, less bitter, and adds a beautiful fresh crunch without needing to peel it.
- Let the pasta cool completely before adding the pesto. Warm pasta can dull the bright green color and fresh flavor.
- Reserve a spoonful of pesto to toss in right before serving to freshen everything back up after chilling.
- If the pasta salad sits overnight, drizzle in a little olive oil or lemon juice before serving to wake the flavors back up.
Amazon Products I Love for This Recipe
- A large mixing bowl for tossing and serving the pasta salads easily
- A quality pasta strainer or colander
- My favorite glass meal prep containers for leftovers
VEGGIE & CHEESE SUBSTITUTIONS
One of the best things about pasta salad is how customizable it is. If you want to switch things up, there are so many easy ways to make this recipe your own.
Instead of cucumber, try chopped bell peppers, zucchini, or even asparagus. Kalamata olives or artichoke hearts would also be delicious additions if you want more Mediterranean-inspired flavors.
For the cheese, feta is my favorite because it adds a salty tang that pairs perfectly with pesto, but goat cheese would give this salad a creamier texture and shaved parmesan works beautifully for a simpler option. If you still love mozzarella, mozzarella pearls can absolutely be used too.
STORAGE
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. As the pasta sits, it will absorb some of the dressing and pesto, so I like to drizzle in a little olive oil or an extra spoonful of pesto before serving leftovers to freshen everything back up.
I don’t recommend freezing this pasta salad since the fresh vegetables and feta can become watery after thawing.
This Pesto Pasta Salad with Feta is one of those recipes that feels fancy enough for entertaining but is secretly incredibly simple to throw together. It’s fresh, colorful, packed with flavor, and guaranteed to become a go-to side dish all summer long. Whether you serve it at a backyard barbecue or keep it in the fridge for easy lunches during the week, this pasta salad is always a hit.
Pesto Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 lb Rotini pasta or pasta of your choice
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
- ½ cup cucumber sliced and quartered
- ¼ cup red onion finely diced
- 1 cup basil pesto
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- ¾ cup feta crumbled
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to instructions and set aside and allow the pasta to cool. In a large bowl, combine the pasta, cherry tomatoes, cucumber and red onion.
- Add the pesto, olive oil, and red wine vinegar. Toss until evenly coated. Fold in the feta cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste. Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving. Garnish with extra feta, parmesan, or fresh basil if desired.
Made this for a neighborhood potluck last weekend and it was the first thing gone! The tip about cooling the pasta completely before adding pesto is so important – I learned that the hard way my first time making pesto pasta salad. Also used English cucumber as suggested and the crunch was perfect. Adding grilled chicken on top made it a full meal. Will definitely be making this on repeat all summer!
This pesto pasta salad is exactly what I needed for meal prep this week! I made a double batch and it held up beautifully in the fridge for three days. I added some cherry tomatoes and grilled chicken to make it a complete meal, and the pesto dressing was still vibrant and flavorful on day three. My coworkers were so jealous of my lunch! Definitely a keeper recipe.
The trick of cooling pasta completely before mixing in pesto really does make a difference—I’ve had mine turn into a greasy mess before. Do you have a favorite type of pasta shape for this, or does any short pasta work?
Cavatappi is my favorite but I’ve done this with bow tie and penne as well!
Pesto pasta salad is exactly the kind of dish I start craving when the weather warms up too. I like that it’s easy to make ahead and still feels fresh, especially for cookouts or a simple lunch that can stretch for a few days.