Greek Pasta Salad – a Quick & Easy Packed Lunch Idea
I first discovered Greek pasta salad while I was living and working in Halifax, Nova Scotia in my early twenties. There was a delightful little cafe just down the street from where I worked and they served the most wonderful assortment of salads. This cafe was an ideal place to go for a quick lunch break, and I used to order their Greek pasta salad regularly.
However, I used to ask them to remove the olives before they handed me my lunch. At that time I’d never even tried an olive, I thought they were hideously unattractive and I was not going to eat them! The staff always looked at me rather strangely when I asked them to remove the olives and I now understand why – good quality olives make this dish.
It wasn’t until I ended up on a press trip to Sardinia (a car launch of all things!) in my mid-20s that I developed a passion for olives.
I am now a lover of all things olive, and much to my delight, so are my children.
This Greek pasta salad recipe is one of our family favourites. It’s been made time and time again from a handwritten recipe that’s been in my notebook for a very long time. I have no idea where the original recipe came from, unfortunately, so I can’t credit the source.
Ingredients for Greek Pasta Salad
- 300 grams dried pasta – I like tricolour fusilli, but trotolle makes for a nice chunky variation. Make it gluten-free by experimenting with any of the gluten-free pasta options available nowadays.
- 220 grams cherry tomatoes – I like vine-ripened piccolo tomatoes
- half a cucumber – quartered and sliced
- one small red onion- finely chopped
- kalamata olives – pitted, or not – I prefer with the pits.
- feta cheese – look out for the PDO label to make sure it’s the real thing.
- extra virgin olive oil – I use Pomora
- one lemon, juice only
- a couple of garlic cloves – to taste, finely chopped
- plenty of freshly ground black pepper
- fresh basil leaves – to garnish if desired
How to Make Greek Pasta Salad – Step by Step Instructions
- Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Cook your pasta according to the packet instructions for about 10-12 minutes, until al dente. Drain and rinse the pasta under cold water to halt the cooking process.
- Add your tomatoes, cucumber, red onion and kalamata olives.
- Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and black pepper to make a dressing.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and gently mix to coat well.
- Sprinkle over the feta cheese.
- Gently combine. Chill until needed.
Greek pasta salad makes for a wicked packed lunch and if you are a fridge raider like me, it’s a perfect midnight snack with a generous grinding of black pepper over the top.
In fact, just keep the pepper grinder next to you and add more pepper as you work your way through the dish. That’s how I eat mine, anyway. You can never have too much black pepper, in my humble opinion!
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Easy Greek Pasta Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 300 grams dried fusilli pasta
- 220 grams cherry tomatoes quartered
- 160 grams cucumber sliced and quartered
- 60 grams red onion finely diced
- 125 grams kalamata olives
- 200 grams feta cheese
- 60 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon juice only
- 2 garlic cloves
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- fresh basil leaves to garnish
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Instructions
- Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta according to packet instructions until al dente (around 10-12 minutes).
- Drain the pasta in a colander and rinse well under cold water to halt the cooking process.
- Place the cooled pasta in a large bowl and add the quartered cherry tomatoes, cucumber, diced red onion and olives.
- In a separate small bowl, mix together the olive oil, lemon juice and garlic. Season well with freshly ground black pepper.
- Pour the dressing over the pasta and the vegetables, stirring to coat.
- Sprinkle over the feta cheese and gently combine.
- Season with more freshly ground black pepper, if desired, and chill until needed.
- Garnish with fresh basil leaves, if desired.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
[mv_create key=”1″ type=”list” title=”Other Healthy Lunches You Might Like” thumbnail=”https://www.elizabethskitchendiary.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Greek-Pasta-Salad-EKD-1.jpg” layout=”circles”]This is not a paid post, although Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary has been gifted items from Viners as compensation. All thoughts and opinions expressed are our own. Amazon links are affiliate links and we earn from qualifying purchases.
Easy Harissa Lamb Shakshuka for Two
hello, i’m definitly going to make the salad, and i’m wondering where did you get those gorgeous white salad dishes? i love the edge design especially. thank you so much!
Hi Patti, they came from my local charity shop. I no longer own them so I can’t tell you what company made them now, I’m afraid!
I love the sound of this recipe, I do a similar one but I have never put pasta in before I will have to try
Looks so delicious but I am allergic to olives
This looks delicious perfect for the summer I love pasta salads
This delicious Greek salad is superb, it will delight my family & friends. Perfect to enjoy during the warmer weather that lies ahead.
The salad is easy and looks gorgeous on the plate! It tastes amazing.
Ooh this recipe looks absolutely delicious and a perfect dinner for those hot summer nights as well I think x
This sounds like a great pasta salad recipe that’s a bit different from the one I usually make.
sounds and looks amazing!! I’ve been searching for new quick past recipes and can’t wait to try this x
Looks great!
I’m always looking for new recipes, this sounds just perfect for a tasty lunch, it looks delicious too.
I think this salad is delicious, and perfect to delight the whole family.
Your salad looks amazing. I love pasta so much so I am definitely going to try this recipe out myself.
Lovely recipe and quite simple too. Nice to be able to use in the summer or a quick meal after a busy day. We love Pasta so any new recipes are always great!
I love this recipe because it’s so simple to make but all the flavours go so well together and reminds me of summer holidays.
A lovely fresh salad, so easy to put together as I would normally have all the ingredients.
I love that I can try out this recipe if I use gluten free pasta. It’s great to find easy lunch ideas that I can make being gluten free, I will definitely try it out
The recipe looks wonderful, easy to make (even for me!) Tasty too and it may keep me full for a while!
I’m Saving this for later, I’ve been looking for healthy, easy pasta recipes and it sounds so tasty.
Hello Elisabeth!
Your Greek Pasta Salad looks amazing! I’ve never eaten a Greek Pasta Salad before, but after reading your recipe I will definitely try it.
Honestly, I would prefer to leave out the olives and the feta cheese because I don’t really like it, but I’m curious to know how it tastes.
I really like the recipe because you don’t need that much ingredients and it seems pretty easy to make.
This recipe will be interesting when I’m going to college in 2 years.
I can’t cook very well and I may not have time to make a three course menu.
So this Greek Pasta Salad will be quick, easy and also very healthy!
I think it’s nice to vary the ingredients from time to time, for example by replacing the olives for lettuce or something else.
Thank you for sharing this recipe, I will try and let you know if I liked it!
Greetings from Rune
Looks tasty, I love Greek food & it’s surprisingly easy to get fussy young ones to eat.
Very tempting, I think this would work well as a main dish or as an accompaniment.
Easy Greek Pasta Salad Recipe Looks tasty, colourful and easy to make, I would enjoy eating it
Love Greek salads, easier to make with max taste
I think this recipe looks great. Fresh and easy to follow. Great for leftovers as well if say.
I like the look of this salad, will have to try and find a gluten free pasta to make it
The recipe sounds delicious! perfect for the summer time 🙂 x
Quick, easy and very colourful
Looks lovely! I’m not always sure about olives in pasta but my Dad would love this recipe
This looks so delicious
Sadly my OH won’t eat pasta and try as i might I just don’t like olives, so i think i will be giving this one a miss.
The simple words “Greek salad” are enough to take me back to Skiathos! Sunshine, Greek hospitality, beaches, wonderful scenery and the fabulous sea, next to which in the harbour was a delicious little cafe bistro that makes salads exactly as yôu have shown us here. Amazing!!
Sounds delicious a combination however I would either need it to be warmed or minus the pasta as I am not keen on cold pasta
looks so tasty
10 out of 10 from me. I absolutely love Greek food it’s my favourite cuisine. Will definitely be having a go at making this for my family. Looks delicious and filling
this recipe sounds delicious!!
It looks delicious … and so healthy!
I love greek salad its a regular meal for me, never thought to try adding pasta
A very tasty and nutritious salad.
Sounds lovely
Great Salad but mostly I love that it is so colourful!
I just love Greek salad!
I can’t wait to try this over the weekend it looks very scummy
This looks like a delicious pasta salad. I’m a big fan of olives, and also love red onion.
This salad receipe is definately one I want to try
This seems like a very versatile dish. It would make a great lunch on its own, a side dish with any number of main courses, or it would work brilliantly on a buffet or picnic!
This sounds delicious – just my sort of food! I’ve rated it 5 out of 5!
Love it, looking forward to trying it myself
We tried this on Saturday night with a home-made Moussaka – it was really tasty 10/10!
This salad recipe looks delicious! Perfect for summer alongside a BBQ or as a standalone dinner. I can also imagine this being a wonderful taste of sunshine in the winter months. Yum!
I love it! I can’t wait to get going and make it myself.
your recipe does look great but I have to eat gluten free and unfortunately I haven’t yet found a gluten free pasta that doesn’t harden up as it cools.
Pasta salad is my favourite it’s so versatile I love olive’s with it and it’s a good way to get your veg intake up. Plus a nice sauce masks veg and the little ones are more likely to eat it
Love pasta salad. Can’t wait to try
This would make a perfect packed lunch for my 2 vegetarian daughters
It sounds like a great dish and I do love a pasta salad, though I’m afraid not for me as I really don’t care for olives! I love the colours though, and it’s a great idea to use a tricolour pasta
(I have rated it assuming I like olives!)
This looks like a great salad to make. Very colourful as well which is always more appealing to me
This is an ideal recipe for anyone! It’s healthy, easy to make and very filling! I can’t wait to try this out
I’m not a big fan of salads but I love pasta and that’s the main reason why I want to try this recipe. It looks appetizing after all Thanks for sharing this. .
Love pasta salads – they are especially quick and tasty to make. Thanks for the chance to win this giveaway.
It looks lovely, the sort of thing i could happily serve to my family
This looks delicious. I think I may try this but without the cheese or a vegan alternative. Greek salads are so delicious especially in the summer months.
Would absolutely love a Viners set, i have wanted one forever
this is my kind of lunch! i could have it as a main meal also adding some smoked tofu to it 🙂
This is my kind of salad. I would have it as a main meal for my lunch but it would also be fab with some grilled meat at a summer barbeque! Delicious.
Fabulous! Just the sort of lunch that’s perfect for those hot summer days & any leftovers boxed up for a refreshing work lunch. Love the recipe. Given 5 stars just from the way my mouth watered as I read the ingredients but I’ll certainly be giving this a try.
I have been looking for pasta recipes, this sounds so delicious and can’t wait to try it.
I forgot to rate the recipe!
I think this recipe looks great and I will definitely be making it!
This recipie looks great, an excellent way to help with weight loss
Not the biggest fan of olives but the dish looks appealing, very fresh. Like the colours too.
I do love a pasta salad. they are so tasty and make a great lunch. I never add olives to mine but will do now after seeing how you did it. It looks lush
This is a great dish. I like that it can be prepared ahead and used for lunches, parties and as a side too. Not only that but I usually always have all the ingredients in the house.
i love olives so this is a lovely idea! filling with the pasta too
This dish looks yummy, I don’t normally like olives but I might give this recipe a try, it looks so tasty.
I think it’s a great recipe for a lunch box or a party. Filling and tasty. Perfec
I really like pasta salads. Great for lunch. It looks colourful and delicious. I would give it a try. Thank you.xxx
Looks very appealing and colourful!
The dressing sounds good, I can almost smell the lemon juice through the screen. Not an olive fan, so I would leave them out in a separate dish for others to add as they like.
I love a greek salad, this looks delicious
Yuck, olives! Am I strange?
I think it is easy, simple but also delicious and healthy
I love pasta dishes so this one really appeals to me.I definately would like to try it as it looks great.
I think the salad sounds lovely and is very colourful!
I think ths sounds lovely and would be ideal for work – I could make it on a Sunday and pop some in a pot each day for my lunch, perhaps adding some salmon or cold sliced chicken to ring the changes.
It looks very tasty
would love to give it a go, looks amazing
% stars defo. I was going to have feta salad for tea and I have some pasta left over from last night. so its a no brainer. Thanks I will really enjoy this
It looks like a really delicious nutritious recipe
I don’t normally mix olives and pasta but it looks delicious and substantial.
The salad looks lovely but I wouldn’t use pasta because I don’t like cold pasta, sorry!
It looks delicious – I’m looking froward to trying it.
Have made this salad quite a few times before. It’s quite a classic & it’s delicious
Looks amazing & very healthy aswell
Love the idea of Greek salad but with pasta to make it filling
It looks so vibrant and tasty x
this looks delicious, I would would use this recipe for the summer months
A Greek salad is one of my favourites! Feta cheese, olive oil yumminess
This looks very appetising. I always shy away from olives but have only ever tried them once many years ago. My tastebuds have developed since then so think I’m going to give the humble olive another chance when I try this recipe.
Looks really good, and with the weather warming up it would go down well.
Looks amazing & very healthy too! Definitely a winner for me !!
It looks amazing and delicious, so different from other pasta salads as they look bland and not very appertizing at all. Will most certainly give this ago!
Just to let you know, on your rafflecopter widget, the link to your giveaways page is not clickable. You might get more visits if you changed it to a clickable link. Hope this helps.
Thanks for letting me know! All fixed now – and that error has been on my last three giveaways – oops!
It looks very yummy.
Thanks for sharing such a delicious recipe with us.
I would make it gluten free, it’s my kind of salad, fresh and simple!
This recipe sounds lovely i’m a huge fan of olives but sadly nobody else in my family is a fan of them!
Forgot to rate before…five stars from me it’s a definite. I’m trying it on my first bbq of 2019! Thankyou
This isn’t perfect for a summer barbecue, I always make a potato salad and never know what else to make and now I am bookmarking this page!
Sounds delicious, will definitely be giving this one a go!
some fabulous flavours in there, can’t wait to make
I love viners cutlery, so stylish!
It looks yummy!
Thank you so much for sharing recipes.Great blog!!!
it looks tasty and the colours make it particularly appetising
This salad recipe sounds delicious.
My wife would love it
This recipe looks so yummy! Can’t wait to use this recipe for lunches/when summer finally returns! 🙂 Thanks for sharing 🙂
This looks delicious!
This looks so yummy! Really excited to use this recipe for lunches, definite little perk for the day! 🙂
This recipe sounds great, it would be lovely on a summer’s day in the garden with friends round.
I love pasta salad and make it frequently. This recipe sounds fresh and delicious and I am going to try it. Thanks.
Looks devine – at this time of year I don’t think to make salads – will certainly be a welcome treat for the family
SIMPLY devine – GREAT for summer winter or spring – the flavours sound amazing
Not so keen on olives but looks delicious and perfect for a nice summer evening x
Looks lovely I’m defo gonna try on the family
I love the recipe because it’s so easy to make and so healthy.
It looks perfect for a tasty lunch at work, I must give it a go
This looks so beautiful you’ve enthused me with Greek salad once again. I was put of it a few years ago when ordering it from a cafe. It came straight out of the fridge and everything was horribly cold. The unripe cold tomatoes nearly made me gag. Your pasta version sounds a lot more appealing – as long as it hasn’t come straight from the fridge 😉
But really Elizabeth, how did you get from someone who refused to try olives to such a creative food blogger?
Its a great salad recipe and I especially love olives , i would change the onion to a sweet white onion for me as I dont like red onion – I hope it would be just as good in the recipe
i think it looks really yummy and would help with my health kick and could be something i could take to work
Sounds lovely but without the olives for us
I think the salad looks amazing, makes me think of summer, can’t wait x
looks lovely, but no olives for me 🙂
This recipe is something i would love to try out on my family! it looks delicious and I’m sure they would love it
oh it looks lovely
Really a nice fresh salad but would need to find a low carb pasta for my DH
Looks delicious. Greek salad is a family favourite but adding the pasta will make it more of a substantial meal. Will definitely try this
Looks lovely!
Sounds and looks delicious!
Sounds and looks amazing!!
A lovely summer dish, great for eating al fresco
Should be refreshing in the summer.
Olives, feta and tomatoes – what could be better?
Looks delicious but I don’t know how to get the kids to like olives.