Description
A quick and refreshing pasta salad featuring rotini pasta tossed with fresh cherry tomatoes, cucumber, black olives, red onion, and creamy feta cheese, all coated in a zesty lemon-garlic dressing. Perfect for picnics, potlucks, or a light lunch.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 2 cups dry pasta (such as rotini or fusilli)
Vegetables & Cheese
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes (halved)
- 1 medium cucumber (diced)
- 0.5 cup black olives (sliced)
- 0.25 cup red onion (thinly sliced)
- 0.5 cup feta cheese (crumbled)
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley (chopped)
Dressing
- 0.25 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard (optional)
- 0.5 tsp salt (or to taste)
- 0.25 tsp black pepper (freshly ground)
Instructions
- Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, following package instructions. Drain the pasta and rinse it under cold water to stop the cooking process and cool it down.
- Prepare the vegetables: While the pasta cooks, halve the cherry tomatoes, dice the cucumber, slice the olives and red onion thinly, and chop the fresh parsley finely. This ensures all veggies are ready to combine once the pasta is done.
- Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, minced garlic, Dijon mustard (if using), salt, and freshly ground black pepper until emulsified. This dressing adds bright, tangy flavor to the salad.
- Combine ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, add the drained pasta, prepared vegetables, black olives, crumbled feta cheese, and chopped parsley. Pour the dressing over the mixture and toss gently but thoroughly to evenly coat everything without breaking the ingredients.
- Chill and serve: Cover the pasta salad and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. This chilling step allows the flavors to meld beautifully. Serve the salad cold as a refreshing side or light main dish.
Notes
- Use your favorite pasta shape; rotini or fusilli are ideal for holding the dressing.
- For a vegan version, omit feta cheese or use a plant-based alternative.
- The salad can be made a few hours ahead, making it great for meal prep or entertaining.
- Adjust salt and lemon juice to taste depending on your preference.
- Add other fresh herbs like basil or mint for variation.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keywords: pasta salad, Mediterranean salad, feta cheese salad, summer salad, easy pasta recipe, cold pasta salad, picnic recipe
