Print

Easy Mediterranean Pasta Salad (Best Summer Recipe)

mediterranean pasta salad - featured image
Print Recipe

A quick and easy Mediterranean pasta salad with tangy vinaigrette, salty feta, briny olives, and fresh vegetables. Perfect for summer lunches, potlucks, and weeknight dinners.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 12 oz (340 g) rotini or fusilli pasta
  • 8 oz (225 g) block feta cheese, crumbled
  • 1 cup (150 g) Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
  • 1 ½ cups (250 g) cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 medium English cucumber, diced
  • ½ small red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
  • ½ cup (20 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • ¼ cup (10 g) fresh basil, chiffonade
  • ⅓ cup (80 ml) extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tbsp (45 ml) red wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp (15 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Boil the pasta: Fill a large pot with water and bring to a rolling boil. Add a generous tablespoon of salt. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente (8-10 minutes).
  2. Drain and rinse: Drain pasta in a colander and rinse under cold running water until cool. Shake well to remove excess water. Let drain.
  3. Make the dressing: In a small bowl or mason jar, combine red wine vinegar, lemon juice, minced garlic, dried oregano, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Let sit for 5 minutes. Add olive oil and whisk or shake until emulsified. Taste and adjust seasoning.
  4. Prep the vegetables: Dice cucumber, halve cherry tomatoes, dice bell pepper, thinly slice red onion, and chop parsley and basil. If using red onion, soak slices in cold water for 10 minutes, then drain and pat dry.
  5. Prepare the feta: Pat feta dry with paper towels. Crumble into uneven pieces with your fingers.
  6. Combine everything: In a large mixing bowl, add cooled pasta, olives, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, and most of the parsley and basil. Pour dressing over top and toss gently until evenly coated.
  7. Add the feta: Gently fold in crumbled feta, reserving a small handful for the top. Fold just a few times.
  8. Rest and serve: Let pasta salad sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before serving. Top with reserved feta and remaining fresh herbs. Serve at room temperature or cold.

Notes

This salad is better the next day. Reserve a little dressing and fresh herbs to add before serving if making ahead. Don’t overcook the pasta; cook al dente. Rinse pasta well to remove excess starch. Let dressing sit for 5 minutes to mellow garlic and bloom oregano. Fold feta in gently at the end to avoid dissolving it.

Nutrition

Keywords: Mediterranean pasta salad, summer pasta salad, easy pasta salad, cold pasta salad, feta pasta salad, vegetarian pasta salad

Find it online: https://emmastirs.com/easy-mediterranean-pasta-salad-best-summer-recipe/