Tomato basil feta pasta salad or Greek pasta salad has all of the fresh flavor of a Greek salad with the addition of pasta. It's filled with garden fresh ingredients, and feta cheese tossed in a homemade lemon garlic dressing. It's so refreshing and delicious your guests will thank you. It’s refreshing and so easy to make.
This recipe was originally posted in May, 2018. It has been updated for content and photos.
This is one of our favorite summer salads! It's perfect for serving at your next party or potluck or serve it warm or at room temperature with a spinach salad for a delicious complete meal.
Recipe Highlights
- It's an easy pasta salad recipe perfect for making ahead of time.
- Pasta salad is budget-friendly and nutritious!
- It's a versatile vegetarian recipe! It can be made vegan or with meat see the variations below.
Here is what you will need
Ingredients
- Pasta
- Cucumbers
- Fresh Tomatoes
- Red Onion
- Kalamata Olives
- Fresh Basil & Oregano
- Feta Cheese Crumbles
- Lemon Juice
- Fresh Garlic
- Olive Oil
Equipment
How to make tomato basil feta pasta salad
This is an overview of the ingredients and steps to make this recipe; scroll down for a printable recipe card with exact measurements and instructions.
Prepare the ingredients: cook the pasta according to the package directions. While the pasta is cooking, chop the vegetables and mix up the dressing.
Step 1. Place the ingredients into a bowl
Drain and rinse the pasta in cold water, and add it to a mixing bowl with feta cheese, onion, cucumbers, basil, olives, and tomatoes into a large mixing bowl.
Step 2. Add the dressing
Pour half to three-quarters of the dressing into the salad bowl and stir to combine.
Step 2. Serve
Refrigerate and serve as a cold pasta salad. Or serve immediately at room temperature. Add more dressing if needed.
Ingredient notes & substitutions
The complete list of ingredients to make this recipe is above. Below are notes about some of the ingredients, along with ideas for substitutes.
Pasta. Any short or small pasta shapes such as shells, bow ties, penne pasta or fusilli pasta will work in this recipe. You can use whole wheat pasta, white or gluten-free pasta.
Tomatoes. You can use any ripe tomatoes to make this salad. I like to use smaller tomatoes such as cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, or plum tomatoes, they are less juicy and easy to cut up.
Onion. As with most summer salads, red onions are my onion of choice in this recipe. They are crispy, add a little color, and we love their peppery flavor. If you prefer a milder onion, choose yellow, white or sweet onions.
Kalamata olives. If you prefer milder-tasting olives, kalamata olives can be replaced with regular black olives.
Make Ahead Instructions
This salad can be made up to a day ahead of time by following the recipe instructions and reserving half of the dressing on the side.
Store the assembled salad in a covered bowl in the refrigerator. Ten minutes before your serve the salad, add the remainder of the dressing and enjoy!
How to store leftover pasta salad
Store leftover tomato basil feta pasta salad in the refrigerator for three to four days in an airtight container.
Recipe variations
Vegan Greek Pasta Salad. Leave out the cheese. If you like a little bit of cheesy taste, sprinkle in 2 to 3 tablespoons of nutritional yeast or vegan parmesan cheese.
Spicy tomato basil feta pasta salad. Stir in up to a teaspoon to taste of red pepper flakes to the salad before serving
Change up the cheese. Replace feta cheese with little mozzarella balls or freshly grated parmesan cheese.
Change up the herbs. Replace or add to oregano and basil, fresh chopped mint, parsley, or dill.
Serve it warm. Rise the pasta in hot water, leave the cucumbers out, and toss the cheese, tomatoes, olives, herbs and dressing.
What to serve with basil tomato feta pasta salad
This pasta dish tastes great as a side dish with your favorite burgers, like this Greek turkey burger or grilled meats such as grilled chicken or shrimp.
It's also a great main dish for busy weeknights. Serve it with a green salad like this spinach salad.
Recipe Tips
- To reduce the strong taste of an onion, soak the chopped pieces in water for 20 minutes. Drain the water off and add the onions to the salad.h
- Use a shark knife to cut the tomatoes, which is best for preventing them from losing shape.
- Avoid a mushy pasta salad, and cook it until it's al dente.
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You might also like these recipes
- Asian Pasta Salad with Chicken
- Pasta with Spinach and Mushrooms
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- Spinach Pasta Salad with Sun-Dried Tomatoes
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Click on serving size to scale this recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups uncooked pasta
- 1 medium cucumber chopped about 1 cup
- ½ to ¾ pint of grape or cherry tomatoes chopped about 1 cup
- ¼ cup Bermuda onions chopped
- ½ cup kalamata olives chopped
- ⅛ cup fresh basil chopped
- ⅛ cup fresh oregano chopped
- ¼ cup feta cheese crumbles
Dressing
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 cloves crushed garlic
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the directions on the pasta package, drain when pasta is al dente, after approximately 8 minutes.
- While pasta is cooking, chop the veggies and place them into a bowl and mix the dressing ingredients.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and can vary based on cooking methods and ingredients used
Check out more of our Pasta Recipes HERE!
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