January 14, 2021 Clean Eating

Loaded Vegetable Greek Pasta Salad with Feta Cheese

If you're looking for a quick, easy, and healthy meal that will tantalize your taste buds, you can't go wrong with a Loaded Vegetable Greek Pasta Salad with Feta Cheese. This recipe is the perfect balance of fresh, crisp veggies, tender pasta, and creamy, tangy feta cheese, all mixed together with a light and zesty dressing. It's perfect for a satisfying lunch, a refreshing side dish, or a crowd-pleasing potluck contribution.

The best part about this recipe is how customizable it is. You can use any combination of vegetables you like, depending on what's in season or what you have on hand. I personally like to use a mix of colorful bell peppers, juicy cherry tomatoes, crunchy cucumbers, and briny Kalamata olives, but you can add or subtract any veggies to suit your taste.

Greek salad with Mediterranean vegetables and Feta cheese plus bonus Authentic Greek Salad Dressing Recipe

This recipe definitely earns the right to be called a salad. The whole-wheat pasta is outnumbered by colorful vegetables and Mediterranean flavors that are as tasty as they are beautiful.

The authentic greek dressing comes together in a matter of minutes and helps bring all the Mediterranean flavors of the pasta salad together into a perfect melody of fresh, creamy, crunchy, briny, juicy deliciousness! I often double the Greek Dressing and use it as a marinade for grilled or pan-seared chicken to serve alongside our pasta salad for extra protein.

What Goes into Greek Pasta Salad?

Cooked whole wheat, gluten-free, or vegan pasta.

Chopped English Cucumber with peeling for extra color and texture.

Red Bell Pepper - Chopped

Whole Cherry Tomatoes

Block of Feta Cheese - Omit or use vegan feta for a dairy-free option.

Kalamata Olives

Pepperoncini Peppers

Homemade Greek Dressing with Feta Cheese (recipe included) or 1 bottle of store-bought greek dressing - Feta Cheese can be omitted or substituted for vegan feta if desired.

Recipe Instructions

This easy and healthy pasta salad recipe can be made ahead of time making it a great addition to your Sunday meal prep or the perfect side dish for a patio party.

Pasta salad recipes are really almost fool-proof. Be sure to follow the package instructions when cooking the pasta to prevent it from overcooking. Once the pasta is cooked al dente, rinse it under cold water to stop the cooking.

While the pasta is cooking, wash and chop the cucumber and red bell pepper into bigger chunks. It’s strictly my preference, but I like my pasta salad chunky.

Wash the cherry tomatoes and keep them whole. I've found keeping the tomatoes whole helps them keep them juicy and sweet longer. I've also found that the pasta salad doesn’t keep as well if the tomatoes have been chopped.

Resist the urge to buy feta crumbles and go for the block. It’s usually located in the specialty section of the grocery store and it’s much more flavorful and not dried out like the crumbles. Once you take the feta out of the package, chop it into 2” chunks reserving about 2 tablespoons for the greek dressing.

Drain juices from olives and pepperoncini peppers and make the greek dressing.

Once the pasta is drained, add everything to a bowl. Toss the pasta, vegetables, vinaigrette, olives, peppers, and feta cheese together with a big spoon, and chill until time to eat.

That's it! Your Loaded Vegetable Greek Pasta Salad with Feta Cheese is ready to serve. You can eat it right away or let it chill in the fridge for an hour or so to let the flavors meld together.

Not only is this recipe delicious, it's also incredibly healthy. The veggies provide a wide range of nutrients, from vitamin C in the bell peppers to lycopene in the tomatoes to fiber in the cucumbers. The feta cheese adds a satisfying dose of protein and calcium, while the pasta provides energy-giving carbohydrates to keep you fueled throughout the day.

Plus, because this salad is so veggie-heavy, it's also a great way to use up any produce that might be on its last legs. You can throw in leftover roasted veggies, canned artichokes, or even some raw kale or spinach for extra greens.

Overall, this Loaded Vegetable Greek Pasta Salad with Feta Cheese is a fantastic recipe to have in your back pocket. It's quick and easy to make, endlessly customizable, and perfect for any occasion. Whether you're looking for a healthy lunch, a light dinner, or a party dish that will wow your guests, this salad has got you covered.

So the next time you're stuck for meal inspiration, give this recipe a try. You won't be disappointed!

How to Make the Greek Dressing

There are a lot of really good greek dressings on the market, and sometimes hectic work schedules and kids' activities call for buying the bottle of dressing...and that’s ok. I promise, your greek salad will still be delicious! There are lots of good options out there for Vegan and Dairy-Free dressings too.

This authentic greek salad dressing with feta cheese is really quick and simple to make. All you need is one lemon juiced, white wine vinegar, chopped garlic, honey, oregano, kosher salt and pepper, crumbled feta cheese, and really good olive oil.

Whisk all the ingredients together and you have the perfect, slightly creamy, and zesty greek vinaigrette.

What’s the Best Type of Pasta for Pasta Salad?

My preference is penne, but any small pasta with grooves or nooks and crannies to hold the super yummy Greek dressing will do. Farfalle, Cavatappi, rotini, and Fusilli are great options. Even Bowtie and large Macaroni noodles can be used, but they wouldn’t be my first pick since they are smooth pasta.

If I’m being honest…when I do a pantry clean-out, I’ll mix in a few different kinds of short pasta. I know I can’t be the only one who will use almost the whole box of dried pasta knowing full well there’s not enough left in the box to cook for another meal.

How Long Will Greek Pasta Salad Last?

It will easily keep in the refrigerator for 3-5 days, making this the perfect meal prep lunch or dinner! The longer it sets up the more the pasta will absorb the dressing.

If you’ve used gluten-free pasta, your greek salad probably won’t last as long since gluten-free pasta tends to break down quicker.

How to Meal Prep

This is one of our favorite summer meal prep lunches. It’s really easy to measure out your desired amount of pasta, (to meet your macros or calories if that’s your thing) then place it in separate meal prep containers and refrigerate for the workweek.

What to Serve with Greek Pasta Salad

Pan Seared Chicken marinated in Greek Dressing

Add in Italian meats like pepperoni and salami for a quickly added protein.

Grilled salmon with lemon is a great match for this pasta salad.

Greek Pasta Salad is great for any summer BBQ! Think brisket, pulled pork, ribs, smoked chicken, and even burgers!

Enjoy as-is! This is the perfect Meatless Monday meal and a wonderful light and fresh meal for hot summer days!

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📖 Recipe

Loaded Vegetable Greek Pasta Salad with Feta Cheese

Jessica Stroup

Pasta tossed with a homemade authentic greek dressing, kalamata olives, sweet cherry tomatoes, crisp English cucumbers, red bell peppers, pepperoncinis, and chunks of yummy feta cheese.

4.76 from 45 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 15

Course Main Course, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine Mediterranean

Servings

Calories 265 kcal

Ingredients

12 oz Whole Wheat Penne Pasta
1 pint Cherry Tomatoes
1 English Cucumber
1 Red Bell Pepper
1 cup Kalamanta Olives drained
1 cup Pepperoncini Peppers drained
8 oz Feta Cheese block, not crumbled

Authentic Greek Dressing with Feta

1 clove garlic minced or grated
1 tablespoon oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ tsp pepper
1 lemon juiced
1 ½ teaspoon honey
2 tablespoon white wine vinegar
½ cup olive oil

Instructions

To cook the pasta, bring a pot of water to a rolling boil, add a tablespoon of salt to the water, and add the penne pasta. Cook pasta for about 7-8 minutes or as determined on the packaging for your pasta. Stir occasionaly and test for doneness when the time is getting close.
Drain pasta and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking.
Wash all veggies and drain the olives and peppers.
Chop the red bell pepper and English cucumber. Crumble the feta cheese, reserving 2 tablespoon for the greek dressing. I perfer mine on the chunkier side.
In a large bowl add the pasta, whole cherry tomatoes, feta, cucumber, red bell pepper, olives, peppers, and greek dressing. Toss to coat well and chill before serving.
Before serving, gently toss the pasta salad again.

Make the Authentic Greek Dressing with Feta

Mince or grate the garlic clove and juice the lemon.
Crumble the remaining 2 tablespoons of feta into small pieces.
Add all ingredients to a small bowl and whisk together.
Taste and adjust salt or honey if needed.

Notes

Dairy-Free

To make this recipe dairy-free, omit the feta cheese altogether or use vegan feta cheese. If you're using a bottled dressing instead of making your own, read the ingredients closely as lots of greek dressing contain feta.

Vegan

To make this recipe vegan, simply follow the dairy-free guidelines and use vegan pasta.

Gluten-Free

To make this recipe gluten-free, use gluten-free pasta. Gluten-free pasta tends to break down more easily and will last about 3 days in the refrigerator.

Nutrition

Calories: 265kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 7gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 587mgPotassium: 204mgFiber: 4gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 696IUVitamin C: 36mgCalcium: 118mgIron: 1mg

Keyword BBQ Side Dish, Greek Dressing, Greek Pasta Salad, Healthy Pasta Salad, Mediterrian Diet, Mediterrian Vegetables, Pasta Salad, Summer Side Dish

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Nutritional Disclaimer

The nutritional information provided here is approximate and calculated using an online nutritional calculator. We strive to give you accurate information, but many factors can cause this data to vary widely. For more information, please read our full Nutritional Disclaimer.

Loaded Vegetable Greek Pasta Salad with Feta Cheese

What Goes into Greek Pasta Salad?

Recipe Instructions

How to Make the Greek Dressing

What’s the Best Type of Pasta for Pasta Salad?

How Long Will Greek Pasta Salad Last?

How to Meal Prep

What to Serve with Greek Pasta Salad

Other Healthy Dinner Recipes

Love This Loaded Vegetable Greek Salad Recipe?

📖 Recipe