I’ve been making this Mediterranean pasta salad for almost 20 years, and it’s still a family favorite. It’s full of sun-drenched flavors like juicy tomatoes, tangy Greek feta and sweet basil in the easiest, zestiest dressing you’ve ever had.
Make this easy pasta salad recipe and take it along with you to all of your summer gatherings. Or serve it at home! It’s the perfect summer side dish for barbecues and outdoor parties. Let’s make it!
What’s in this Mediterranean pasta salad recipe
Here’s what you’ll need to make this delicious Greek pasta salad:
- Short cut pasta. Any shape will work in this recipe, as long as it’s a short pasta shape. Fusilli and rotini pasta are swirly and will hold the dressing really well. Tubular shapes like penne and rigatoni are also good choices.
- Ripe cherry tomatoes. You could also use grape tomatoes.
- Red onion. We’re going to dice it nice and fine so that you taste the bite of the onion but not a lot of texture.
- Zucchini. Raw zucchini is my favorite, and it will soften slightly once it sits in the dressing.
- Sun dried tomatoes. I use the oil-packed kind for this recipe, but you could also use dry sun dried tomatoes.
- Quality feta cheese. Choose the kind that comes in a brick in brine. It has more flavor than the crumbled kind.
- Sweet basil. Tear the leaves or slice them into thin ribbons.
- Good Seasons Italian salad dressing mix. Told you it was going to be easy! This dressing has tons of flavor and takes a literal minute to prepare.
How to Make this Mediterranean Pasta Salad
This cold pasta salad comes together quickly if you follow these simple steps:
Chop up your fresh vegetables while the pasta is cooking. Cut up the tomatoes, zucchini and onion. When the pasta is done, drain and rinse it thoroughly with cold water.
Make the salad dressing using the Good Seasons packet, vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. I use plain old white vinegar, but you could also try red wine vinegar or even balsamic vinegar.
Assemble all of your pasta salad ingredients in a large mixing bowl, drizzle the dressing over top and gently fold it all together. Done!
How to Serve Mediterranean Pasta Salad
This pasta salad is best enjoyed at room temperature. So before you’re ready to serve it, take it out of the fridge, give it a stir and let it sit for 15 or so minutes.
This delicious salad is the perfect side dish for all of your grilled proteins. I love serving it with simple grilled chicken or fish. It goes great with kebabs that were marinated in homemade Greek dressing. Check out my recipe here.
It also makes a delicious lunch all by itself. Mini Me takes it to school for lunch all the time!
Variations on this Mediterranean Pasta Salad
If you love Greek flavors as much as I do, try adding some kalamata olives and chopped artichoke hearts to this pasta salad. Their briny flavors will complement the fresh vegetables beautifully.
In terms of fresh herbs, fresh oregano or fresh parsley can be substituted for the fresh basil, or added to it.
For the veggies, cucumber can be used in place of the zucchini. You could also use a vidalia onion, which is a bit sweeter than red onion, if you are sensitive to the taste of raw onion. Or just leave it out completely.
And for the tomato haters in your family (Mini Me picks them out), try using diced red peppers instead of the cherry tomatoes.
How long will this simple Mediterranean pasta salad last in the fridge?
When properly stored in an airtight container with a tight fitting lid, this light pasta salad will last for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
Allow it to sit on the counter for a few minutes before serving, just to take the chill off.
Can you make this Mediterranean pasta salad ahead of time?
You can and should make this pasta salad ahead of time to let the flavors marry. And to make your life easy!
Just give it a good stir before serving to agitate the dressing.
When you make this Mediterranean Pasta Salad, I’d love to hear about it! Drop a rating or leave a comment below. Enjoy!
For more Mediterranean recipes, try these:
For more summer side dish recipes, try these:
- Healthy Southwestern Coleslaw (No Mayo)
- Spicy Asian Cucumber Salad with Ginger & Garlic
- Black Bean, Corn & Avocado Salad
Easy Mediterranean Pasta Salad Recipe with Greek Feta
Ingredients
- 1 lb. short cut pasta
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes halved or cut into quarters
- 3/4 cup red onion diced
- 1 cup sundried tomatoes diced
- 2 cups zucchini sliced into rounds or quarters
- 1 1/2 cups feta cheese crumbled
- 1 packet Good Seasons Italian or Zesty Italian dressing
- 1 cup fresh basil torn
- 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Cook and drain the noodles according to package directions for al dente pasta. Rinse hot pasta with cold water until it cools.
- If you have a Good Seasons shaker, use it to make the dressing. If not, whisk the salad dressing packet with the vinegar and 3 Tbsp. water in a small bowl. Whisking constantly, slowly pour the olive oil into the vinegar mixture until combined.
- Combine the cooled pasta, tomatoes, onions, zucchini, basil and feta in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the ingredients and toss gently to coat.
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