This Greek Pasta Salad recipe is flavorful and filling, made with the freshest ingredients and a homemade Greek dressing! It’s very quick and easy to make, perfect to serve as a side dish with a hearty main, or as a light dinner on hot summer days.

Greek Pasta Salad is one of my favorite pasta salad dishes, with plenty of fresh veggies, creamy Feta cheese, and an amazing homemade Greek salad dressing!

I LOVE a good easy pasta salad recipe, sometimes you just can’t beat that combination of tender pasta, with crunchy vegetables.

This is the best Greek pasta salad recipe as it’s so easy to make and has a couple of unique additions that we just love. It may not be an authentic Greek salad, but this is my blog and I make the rules. 😉

It comes together in just 20 minutes, so it’s perfect for busy weeknight dinners, or for prepping lunches for the week.

For more great pasta salad recipes, check out my Creamy Ranch Bowtie Pasta Salad Recipe, this Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad, or this BBQ Chicken Pasta Salad with Tomatoes, Zucchini & Corn, or get even more inspiration from my list of 30+ Pasta Salad Recipes!

Ingredients Needed:

Greek Pasta Salad

• Pasta: I like to use Orzo pasta, but any kind of short pasta will work.
• Cucumber: freshly cubed cucumber will give an instantly fresh flavor and great texture to this salad.
• Cheese: get good quality Greek Feta cheese for the best flavor. Opt for PDO labelled Feta (you will see the red and yellow symbol that says Protected Designation of Origin). It is imported from Greece and of the highest quality!
• Olives: kalamata olives add a great salty and savory flavor, classic to Mediterranean cuisine.
• Sun-Dried Tomatoes: they add a rich and tangy flavor to the pasta salad. You can swap for fresh cherry tomatoes if you prefer.
• Fresh herbs: you can use fresh basil or fresh parsley for extra flavor if you wish.
• Pepper: freshly cracked black pepper will add a slight kick to the dish (be sure to add it to your tastes).

Dressing

• Oil: use a good quality extra virgin olive oil for a classic Greek flavor.
• Lemon Juice: fresh lemon juice will work best, so get a fresh lemon and start squeezing!
• Seasoning: use kosher salt, dried oregano, and freshly pressed or minced garlic is all you need for this flavorful dressing.

How to Make Greek Pasta Salad

This recipe couldn’t be easier! Full instructions are included in the recipe card below.

1. Make the dressing: Stir together the oil, lemon juice, salt, oregano, and garlic in a small bowl.
2. Combine ingredients. Mix together the cooked pasta, cucumber, Feta, olives, tomatoes, and chopped fresh basil. Add the dressing and toss well.

Greek Pasta Salad FAQs

Tips and Notes

• Pasta. For the quantities used, this recipe will work best with short cut pasta or small pasta shapes. You can use any kind of pasta for this dish, but if you use a larger size of pasta, the overall texture will be different. Just be sure to cook the pasta al dente for the best results!
• Feta. Whatever you do, choose good (real!) salty Feta cheese. No pre-crumbled Feta cheese here. Buy a good block and crumble or cube some to add in and you won’t regret it.
• Fresh herbs. I love basil in this, but fresh parsley is another great addition. It adds a lovely pop of flavor but isn’t 100% necessary.

Greek Pasta Salad Variations

• Mix up the veggies. You can use your favorite salad veggies here. Some chopped celery, green bell pepper, red onion, or sweetcorn would all add a slightly different flavor and texture to the salad.
• Sun-dried tomatoes. Maybe an unexpected ingredient, but I love the flavor in this dish more than fresh! Feel free to swap with fresh, halved cherry tomatoes if you prefer.
• Olive oil. olive oil adds more flavor than you might think, so use it if you can. If not, you can substitute with another oil, just keep in mind this will be a predominant flavor in the dressing.
• Lemon juice. as much as I feel lemon juice is a must here, you can swap it with red wine vinegar or white vinegar. (Like it tangy? You can even add a bit of both)!
• Dressing. You can swap the homemade dressing recipe for a bottle of store-bought Greek salad dressing in a pinch.

Serving Suggestions

Serve this classic pasta salad as a main dish for a lighter meal, or serve it on the side to make a complete meal of another main course like these Grilled Chicken Thighs, or Slow Cooker Chicken Breast.

In our home, our dinner table is never without a side of bread. Some of our favorites are my Cheesy Garlic Bread, No Knead Artisan Bread, and my Homemade Breadsticks.

More Easy Pasta Recipes to Try

Dinner

Garlic Parmesan Orzo Pasta recipe

Pasta

BEST Hamburger Helper Recipe

Dinner

Easy Lasagna Recipe

Dinner

Pasta Fagioli (Pasta Fazool)

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Greek Pasta Salad

This Greek Pasta Salad recipe is flavorful and filling, made with the freshest ingredients and a homemade Greek dressing! It's very quick and easy to make, perfect to serve as a side dish with a hearty main, or as a light dinner on hot summer days.

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine Greek

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 262cal

Author Ashley Fehr

Ingredients

Greek Pasta Salad

• 340 grams short pasta I like to use orzo about 12 oz
• 1 cup cubed cucumber
• ½ cup Feta cheese crumbled or cubed
• ⅓ cup kalamata olives sliced
• ⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes roughly chopped
• fresh basil or parsley optional
• freshly cracked black pepper

Greek Salad Dressing

• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 clove garlic pressed or minced

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Cook pasta according to package directions and drain. Rinse under cold water and set aside.
• Meanwhile, prepare the remaining salad ingredients.
• Add the cooked pasta to a large bowl with the cucumber, Feta, olives, tomatoes, and some roughly chopped fresh basil.
• Stir together dressing ingredients of oil, lemon juice, salt, oregano, and garlic in a small bowl.
• Pour over pasta salad ingredients in a bowl and toss together. Taste and add freshly cracked black pepper or additional lemon or salt according to your tastes.
• Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 4 days.

Notes

Storage: Store this dish in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. It’s best to store the homemade dressing separately and add it before serving so that the salad doesn’t wilt or soften.

Nutrition

Calories: 262cal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 274mg | Potassium: 238mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 99IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Greek Pasta Salad appeared first on The Recipe Rebel.

This Spicy Baked Feta is based on the classic Greek dish Mpougiourdi — it’s made with feta, cherry tomatoes, green chili peppers, oregano and olive oil. Serve it with crusty bread or crackers for dipping!

This Spicy Baked Feta cheese is our newest obsession!

It is so easy to make, it’s full of flavor but made with just a few simple ingredients. It can be a pre-dinner appetizer or a light meal (don’t forget some crackers and crusty bread!).

I first discovered Mpougiourdi on my trip to Greece a few weeks ago and it was instantly in love. I love recipes that take a few simple but incredible ingredients and create something extraordinary.

I immediately had our host type the recipe name in my phone so I could recreate it

If you saw my Feta Pasta with Dill post, you know that I was hosted in Greece to learn more about Feta cheese and what it means for Feta to qualify for that PDO symbol.

If you’re interested in hearing more about what I learned, check out my pasta post above. 😀

This Baked Feta is creamy, spicy, herby, and sweet. Be careful — it’s addictive!

Ingredients Needed:

• Feta cheese: if you can afford it, opt for PDO labelled Feta (you will see the circular red and yellow symbol that says Protected Designation of Origin). It is imported from Greece and the highest quality!
• Cherry tomatoes: halved so that they cook down faster and release those sweet juices. You can use a little more or a little less according to your tastes.
• Olive oil: choose extra virgin olive oil if you have it
• Green chilis: I wanted to use fresh green chilis because it looked like that’s what was used when we had it in Greece. If you can’t find chilis or you want a little less spice, opt for a jalapeno or pickled spicy green peppers.
• Dried oregano: adds an herby, earthy flavor.
• Salt and pepper: use sparingly, since the rest of the ingredients are packed full of flavor and some Feta can be quite salty.

How to make Spicy Baked Feta:

• Cut the feta into cubes (this isn’t necessary, but it warm through more quickly and I love how it incorporates with the tomatoes), and add to a small baking dish with the tomatoes, chilis, oil, and oregano. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and fresh cracked pepper.
• Cover and bake until tomatoes are softened and cheese is soft and melty.

FAQs and tips:

More cheesy dips you’ll love:

Appetizers

Cheesy Chicken Alfredo Dip

Appetizers

Buffalo Chicken Dip Recipe

Appetizers

Taco Dip

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Spicy Baked Feta (Mpougiourdi)

This Spicy Baked Feta is based on the classic Greek dish Mpougiourdi — it's made with feta, cherry tomatoes, green chili peppers, oregano and olive oil. Serve it with crusty bread or crackers for dipping!

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Greek

Diet Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 2 -4

Calories 333cal

Author Ashley Fehr

Ingredients

• 150 grams block Feta cheese (about 5-6 oz)
• 2 green chili peppers
• ¾ cup halved cherry tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
• salt and pepper

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Cut feta into cubes and place in a small baking dish.
• Chop one of the chilis into fine pieces (you can remove the seeds for less heat if you prefer). Save one for garnishing the top.
• Add tomatoes, chopped chilis, olive oil, and oregano to the baking dish. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper (how much seasoning is needed will depend on how salty your feta is).
• Cover and bake for 20 minutes, until feta and tomatoes have softened. You can leave it as is or mash it lightly together.
• Serve with toasted baguette, breadsticks or crackers.

Nutrition

Calories: 333cal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 67mg | Sodium: 865mg | Potassium: 173mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 595IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 380mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Spicy Baked Feta (Mpougiourdi) appeared first on The Recipe Rebel.

This Feta Pasta with Dill is made with just 4 ingredients and one pot! It’s a simple but flavorful vegetarian dinner recipe, ready in 20 minutes.

This Feta Pasta with Dill is so simple to make! I am a firm believer in creating incredible meals with just a few really special ingredients, and this one tops the list.

When my garden is bursting with fresh dill, this is a great way to enjoy it. The creamy feta sauce is luxurious but not too heavy, and the fresh herby flavor helps to cut through the richness of the cheese.

I created this recipe after a recent trip to Greece — the birthplace of feta cheese!

We had a similar pasta at Akadimia restaurant which was part of one of the most incredible meals.

Thanks to a press trip coordinated by Feta PDO, myself and 7 other food writers were lucky enough to explore Greek dairies and feta production facilities. Although this post is not sponsored, I am excited to share some of the knowledge I learned with you while we were hosted!

If you love quick and easy dinners, check out all of my Six Ingredient Suppers here and fine more One Pot Meals over here.

What is Feta?

Feta cheese is a sheep’s milk cheese that has a Protected Designation of Origin — this means that the product itself is tied to the region in which it is produced.

What does that mean?

It means that “feta” cheese products that are produced outside of Greece are, in fact, not actually feta.

Here are a few more FAQ’s:

Ingredients needed:

• Pasta: you can use any pasta in this recipe! I like to use a long pasta like this Tagliatelle because when I had it originally in Greece, it was prepared with a long pasta. Gluten free, fresh pasta or whole grain work well as well.
• Feta cheese: look for the PDO symbol to make sure you’re getting authentic Greek Feta cheese for the best flavor and texture! I like to use a creamy feta (stay away from the crumbles!) for this recipe so that it has a nice silky sauce.
• Pasta water: I recommend reserving 2 cups of pasta water to thin the feta into a smooth sauce. The pasta will absorb the sauce and thicken it considerably, so you may find you need to keep adding pasta water until it is the right consistency.
• Dill: fresh is best. Since this recipe has only 4 ingredients, I recommend making it with the best ingredients possible. Unfortunately dried dill is a poor substitute for fresh, so I would save this recipe for when it is readily available (or try another fresh herb you enjoy).
• Garlic: again, freshly minced has the best flavor!
• Salt and pepper: go easy on the salt in this recipe until you have tasted the final product! Feta is often a salty cheese which adds tons of flavor on its own.

How to make Feta Pasta with Dill:

1. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water until al dente — go a little easier on the salt with this recipe because feta can be a salty cheese!
2. Reserve at least 2 cups pasta water, then drain and remove pasta. Combine Feta, dill, garlic and a small amount of pasta water in the pot.
3. Cook on medium heat and whisk until a smooth sauce forms.
4. Add cooked pasta and toss to coat in sauce, adding more pasta water as needed to coat the pasta.

Tips and Variations:

• Chop Feta and bring to room temperature while pasta cooks so that it melts more easily.
• More pasta water is better! Save as much as you can but at least 2 cups — you’d be surprised how much is needed to thin the sauce to a smooth consistency. Start with a small amount, and add more once the pasta is added to the sauce.
• Mix things up! A little lemon zest or finely chopped zucchini are great additions to this recipe.
• Serve it with some Baked Chicken Breast or Grilled Pork Tenderloin for a delicious, protein-packed meal. Add Air Fryer Broccoli or Roasted Green Beans for a vegetarian dinner!

More pasta recipes

Dinner

Sun Dried Tomato Pasta

Dinner

Chicken Spaghetti

Dinner

Chicken Broccoli Alfredo

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Feta Pasta with Dill

This Feta Pasta with Dill is made with just 4 ingredients and one pot! It's a simple but flavorful vegetarian dinner recipe, ready in 20 minutes.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Greek

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Calories 496cal

Author Ashley Fehr

Ingredients

• 1 lb pasta (any kind – I used tagliatelle)
• 2 cups reserved pasta water (divided)
• ¾ cup Feta cheese (chopped)
• 2-4 tablespoons fresh chopped dill
• 2 cloves freshly minced garlic
• fresh cracked pepper and salt (as needed)

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• In a large pot of boiling, lightly salted water, cook pasta until al dente (about 8-12 minutes).
• Reserve at least 2 cups pasta water.
• Drain and remove pasta from pot.
• To the pot, add ½ cup pasta water, Feta cheese, dill (start with 2 tablespoons dill and add more as you desire) and garlic. Cook and stir on medium heat just until melted and smooth, about 3-4 minutes.
• Add cooked pasta and toss to coat, adding additional pasta water as required until the sauce coats all the pasta. You may find you have to keep adding pasta water as it sits, so don't dump it!
• Taste and add salt and pepper as needed, or additional fresh dill if desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 496cal | Carbohydrates: 86g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 334mg | Potassium: 274mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 134IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 167mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Feta Pasta with Dill appeared first on The Recipe Rebel.