This Mediterranean Pasta Salad recipe is easy to make and tossed with a yummy lemon-herb vinaigrette.
If you’re looking for the perfect make-ahead dish for your next gathering, this Mediterranean pasta salad is it. ♡
It’s fresh, vibrant, and bursting with flavor thanks to a colorful mix of veggies, briny kalamata olives, and tangy feta. The real star of the show is a zippy lemon-herb vinaigrette that brings everything together. I love how quickly this recipe comes together and how well it holds up for picnics, potlucks, or easy lunches throughout the week. You can serve it cold or at room temperature, and it’s always a crowd favorite.
Let’s make a batch!
Mediterranean Pasta Salad Recipe | 1-Minute Video
Recipe Tips
Here are a few quick tips to make this pasta salad a success:
- Be sure to generously salt your pasta water. This simple step adds flavor right from the start and is crucial for seasoning the pasta itself.
- Cook the pasta al dente. Slightly firm pasta holds up better in salads and won’t get mushy as it sits.
- Let it marinate. If you have time, let the salad rest in the fridge for 30 minutes before serving so the flavors have time to meld.
- Taste and adjust. Before serving, give it a quick taste and add more salt, pepper, or lemon juice if needed. The flavors can mellow as it sits.
Recipe Variations
This Mediterranean pasta salad recipe is incredibly customizable, so feel free to toss in any of these extras:
- Add a protein: Toss in grilled chicken, shrimp, or chickpeas to make it more filling and protein-packed.
- Add a different cheese: Replace feta with crumbled goat cheese or shaved Parmesan for a different flavor twist.
- Add greens: Stir in baby spinach, arugula, or chopped kale just before serving for extra nutrients.
- Add jarred veggies: Add artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers or sun-dried tomatoes for extra veggies.
- Add fresh herbs: Mix in chopped parsley, basil, dill, or mint for extra freshness and flavor.
- Add nuts: Add toasted pine nuts or slivered almonds for extra crunch and protein.
More Pasta Salad Recipes To Try!
Looking for more easy pasta salad recipes to try? Here are a few of our all-time faves:
Mediterranean Pasta Salad
Ingredients
Mediterranean Pasta Salad Ingredients:
- 12 ounces dry pasta (I used farfalle)
- 1 English cucumber, diced
- 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- 2/3 cup sliced kalamata olives
- 4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
- half of a medium red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
Lemon-Herb Vinaigrette Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon freshly-squeezed lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano, minced
- 1 teaspoon honey (or your desired sweetener)
- 2 small garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
To Make The Mediterranean Pasta Salad:
- Cook the pasta al dente in a large stockpot of generously-salted water according to package instructions. Drain pasta, then rinse under cold water for about 20-30 seconds until no longer hot. Transfer the pasta to a large mixing bowl.
- Add cucumber, tomatoes, kalamata olives, feta cheese, and red onion to the mixing bowl, then drizzle all of the vinaigrette evenly on top. Toss until all of the ingredients are evenly coated with the dressing.
- Serve immediately, garnished with extra feta and black pepper if desired.
To Make The Lemon-Herb Vinaigrette:
- Whisk all ingredients together until combined.
Notes
Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
We love this salad! We make it a lot in the summer, but also year round. Soooo good!
Oh my this was perfect on this hot humid Sunday! I made the recipe pretty much as written but substituting maple syrup for the honey, using green for kalamata olives and adding 1/2 ea orange and yellow peppers. Oh and I used some leftover vegan feta cheese I had in the refriger. 100% vegan, 100% yum. Thank you!
I have made this recipe 3 times in two weeks! It’s FANTASTIC!! I added grilled chicken, cut into cubes. (Added protein makes it a complete meal). I made it the second time with mini bow-tie pasta. I liked that a bit better but that’s my preference. The dressing is divine. I’ve made it several times to use on green salad.
This recipe is a keeper for sure!!!
Soooo good! I left out the red onions for my husband but added them back to my bowl. Delicious either way!
Just made this for a church funeral and luckily had some ingredients left over such that I made it again for my husband and I after dropping it off at church. This was by far the BEST pasta salad I’ve ever tasted. The dressing with the freahly squeezed lemon was the bomb!! Will confess that I added a teensy bit more honey. Yum! Also sprinkled the whole salad with a bit more salt & pepper at the end and tossed it once more. Thanks for a wonderful recipe!!!!
Just made this and it was sooo yummy and so easy! Thanks for sharing :)
I made this with zucchini in place of cucumber and extra feta cheese. I ate it cold first than tried heated. Liked it hot better.
My family loved this so much had to make it 2 days straight.
Made this for lunch. Very flavorful. Only change i made was adding in green bell peppers.
Even though it is winter, I am always looking for lunch ideas since I fix 90% of my meals at home this past year. This was delicious!! The dressing is so tasty, I did cut back a little on the gatlic. I threw in some chick peas I had left over ftom salads to add a little protien and this makes a complete meal for me.
This is delicious! Made it twice exactly as directed with bow ties ❤️