Spring Greek Pasta Salad

Name: Spring Greek Pasta Salad
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 16 servings (3/4 cup each).
Ingredients: 4 cups veggie rotini or other spiral pasta (about 12 ounces); VINAIGRETTE:; 1/4 cup olive oil; 3 tablespoons lemon juice; 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar; 1 tablespoon water; 3 garlic cloves, minced; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon pepper; 3 tablespoons minced fresh oregano or 1 tablespoon dried oregano; SALAD:; 3 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped; 1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped; 1 small cucumber, seeded and chopped; 1 small zucchini, chopped; 1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced; 1/3 cup sliced pitted Greek olives, optional; 1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese

For a light meal, we toss rotini pasta with cucumber, zucchini and sweet peppers. Make this cucumber pasta salad into a main dish by adding grilled chicken. —Christine Schenher, Exeter, California

Ingredients

4 cups veggie rotini or other spiral pasta (about 12 ounces)
VINAIGRETTE:
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon water
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons minced fresh oregano or 1 tablespoon dried oregano
SALAD:
3 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped
1 small cucumber, seeded and chopped
1 small zucchini, chopped
1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1/3 cup sliced pitted Greek olives, optional
1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain; rinse with cold water and drain well.
In a small bowl, whisk oil, lemon juice, vinegar, water, garlic, salt and pepper until blended. Stir in oregano.
In a large bowl, combine pasta, vegetables and, if desired, olives. Add vinaigrette and cheese; toss to combine. Refrigerate, covered, until serving.

Test Kitchen Tips

There’s nothing like fresh pasta. The process may seem intimidating, but it’s actually very easy to do! All you need is a little time. To get a jump on it, make dough 2 to 3 days in advance and store in the refrigerator until you are ready to roll it out.

To keep pasta from sticking together when cooking, use a large pot with plenty of water. Add a little cooking oil if desired (this also prevents boiling over).

Check out 24 more tasty pasta salad recipes.

Nutrition Facts

3/4 cup (calculated without olives): 142 calories, 5g fat (1g saturated fat), 4mg cholesterol, 219mg sodium, 20g carbohydrate (3g sugars, 2g fiber), 5g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 fat.

Originally published as Greek Pasta Salad in Taste of Home April/May 2015

Reviews

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Average Rating:

rmbarr059

May 15, 2017

This was really good. You should definitely add the kalamata olives :)
Janadele

Apr 27, 2017

Excellent took to two salad luncheons and was a hit.
Remenec

Apr 17, 2017

This is a delicious pasta salad! The dressing is so tasty. I made it for my dad's birthday, and everyone loved it! I will definitely make this pasta salad again.
HomeChefColleen

Apr 9, 2016

Lovely! Full of flavour and makes plenty for a crowd! Thank you for your recipe!
NH-rescue

Sep 29, 2015

Great Greek taste. We didn't add in any kind of meat, so I would suggest adding the optional Greek olives if you are just doing the veggie version.
shannondobos

Jun 15, 2015

I thought this salad was great! I was out of oregano, so I substituted Greek Souvlaki seasoning, and it was great. You could tell there was extra lemon pepper and a hint of mint in the seasoning I used, but that really put the dressing over the top. Definitely a hit. I think if I made it again I'd purposely use a seasoning blend.
dmjran6

May 31, 2015

While my family enjoyed this pasta salad, I would add slightly less vinegar next time, and try it with salami slices, as suggested by another reviewer.
Punkyjoe81

Apr 13, 2015

Fantastic!! Whenever I want to make pasta salad, THIS is the recipe I will use. Delicious!
momtomatt

Apr 10, 2015

Wow! This was the best pasta salad! I added pepperoni slices and I diced 1/2 red onion instead of slicing. My family does not like feta cheese, so I used bite size pieces of fresh mozzarella instead. This will be my "go to" salad this spring and summer!
toolbarsco

Apr 1, 2015

We loved this salad! I added diced chicken, but I like lolohiser's suggestion to add salami--will try that next time. The vinaigrette was delightful.