Easy Greek Pasta Salad Recipe – seriously THE BEST pasta salad recipe ever! I could make a meal out of just this pasta salad! Penne pasta, olive oil, lemon juice, mayonnaise, Greek seasoning, grape tomatoes, feta cheese, and fresh basil. Makes a ton of food. Great when you need a crowd-pleasing side dish for Memorial Day, potlucks, and easy summer dinners. Whip up a batch ASAP! You won’t be disappointed. Recipe from Ashley Mac’s in Birmingham, AL.
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Pin This RecipePasta Salad with Feta & Tomatoes
One of my absolute favorite places to eat lunch is at a restaurant called Ashely Mac’s in Birmingham. They have THE BEST chicken sandwich, and I am in LOVE with their Greek Pasta Salad. I’m not really a pasta salad person, but Ashely Mac’s pasta salad is to-die-for! Tender pasta, juicy tomatoes, creamy feta cheese, and fresh basil tossed in a homemade Greek dressing. I could just eat the Greek Pasta Salad and be happy! Well, that probably isn’t true. Ashley Mac’s cupcakes are incredible! SO, maybe Greek Pasta Salad and cupcakes! LOL! I found the recipe for their pasta salad on the local paper’s website and immediately whipped up a batch! It tasted just like the real thing! Woohoo!
How to Make Greek Pasta Salad
This pasta salad is super easy to make with only a few simple ingredients. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Boil pasta according to package directions for al dente pasta. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, mayonnaise, Greek seasoning, and fresh lemon juice. Add cooked pasta, grape or cherry tomatoes, feta cheese, and fresh basil. Stir the cooled pasta into the dressing to coat. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 8 hours. Transfer the pasta to a large serving bowl and give it a good stir before serving.
Helpful Tips & Frequently Asked Questions
- You can use any short cut pasta that you prefer. Penne, rotini pasta, bow tie are all great. Can use regular or whole wheat pasta.
- This is a great base recipe. Feel free to add some fresh vegetables to the pasta mixture. Red onion, red peppers, green bell pepper, English cucumbers, artichoke hearts, black olives and kalamata olives are all great.
- Can use gluten-free pasta for a gluten-free dish.
- I used Cavendar’s Greek Seasoning. You can find it with the other spices in the grocery store. If you are sensitive to salt, make sure and buy the salt-free version.
- Can Italian Pasta Salad be made in advance? Yes! I think this pasta salad tastes better the next day. Refrigerating the pasta overnight gives the flavors time to develop. The pasta salad will keep about 5 days in the refrigerator.
- Add some leftover rotisserie chicken or Grilled Greek Chicken for a main course.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
What to Serve with Delicious Pasta Salad
This has quickly become one of our favorite pasta salad recipes. We love all the feta cheese and Greek flavors! This recipe makes a lot of pasta. Perfect for when you need a crowd-pleasing side dish. This is my go-to recipe for a potluck, cookout, or summer picnic. This goes great with sandwiches, grilled chicken, just about anything. Heck, we ate a big bowl of pasta salad as our main course one night. We just can’t get enough of this yummy side dish!
Here are a few more of our favorite recipes from the blog that go great with this delicious Greek pasta salad:
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Greek Pasta Salad
Ingredients:
- 1 (16-oz) box penne pasta
- ⅔ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 3 Tbsp Greek seasoning
- ¾ cup grape tomatoes, cut into halves
- 1½ cups crumbled feta cheese
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
Instructions:
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and cool.
- Whisk together oil, juice, mayonnaise and Greek seasoning in a large bowl. Add cooked pasta, tomatoes, feta cheese and basil. Toss to coat.
- Cover and refrigerate 8 hours before serving.
Notes:
- You can use any shape of pasta that you prefer.
- I used Cavendar’s Greek Seasoning. You can find it with the other spices in the grocery store. If you are sensitive to salt, make sure and buy the salt-free version.
- The pasta salad will keep 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.
Steph
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I just made this for the first time. Before I could get it in the frig hubby tasted it and loves it. Thank you for sharing. He said I have to put it in the rotatIon to keep making it. He said he loves the bold flavors that get your whole mouth.
The family loves this! I add diced cucumber, sliced black olives, shredded carrots, and pulled chicken (I just use a rotisserie chicken from the store). I usually toss the chicken in some Greek dressing. Then I serve it with warm pita bread and tzatziki.
My kids love this salad, I keep grape tomatoes whole & add whole black olives, green pepper, green onions, feta & chopped pepperoni with Greek dressing!
We make this almost weekly, and have ever since I found this on Pinterest! My four year old even requested it for his birthday. Now that my husband and I are trying low carb, I’ll make the full amount of dressing but half lb of pasta. I make 2lbs of chicken to shred and pour half of the mix on that and half on the pasta, then add the basil, cheese and tomatoes. That way we both get our greek salad fix! Thank you!
This was SO GOOD! This is the first time I've used greek seasoning and I'm hooked! I'm excited to try it on other stuff. Thanks for the recipe, it was a huge hit!!
Can you substitute Greek yogurt for the mayo?
I haven't tried it with Greek yogurt, but it should be fine. That is a very common substitute. Enjoy!
Can I make the Greek Seasoning myself?
Sure!
How many does this recipe serve? I’m having a couples party and will be serving approximately 40-45 people. How many times this recipe do I need to make?
Can you taste the mayonnaise in this recipe?
Not at all. I hate mayonnaise – as in, don't even like to touch the jar. I couldn't taste any mayonnaise in this pasta salad. All the other flavors shine in this pasta salad.
I would like to put some chicken in it..
This sounds great – I'm going to try it very soon. I'd love the recipe for Ashley Mac's Chicken Salad that you said is so great – please!
Is Greek Seasoning available in the grocery or is it something I need to make?
I bought a jar of Greek seasoning at the grocery store
I USE CAVENDER'S IT IS AWESOME WE USE IT ON ALL OUR MEATS AND PUT A PINCH IN EGGS SO GOOD EVEN IN SALADS…….YOU WILL LOVE IT!!!!
I USE CAVENDER'S IT IS AWESOME WE USE IT ON ALL OUR MEATS AND PUT A PINCH IN EGGS SO GOOD EVEN IN SALADS…….YOU WILL LOVE IT!!!!
I MADE THIS EARLY THIS MORNING, SO WE CAN HAVE IT FOR DINNER TONIGHT……..AND YES THIS IS A GREAT SUMMER SALAD!!!!!
I LOVE this pasta salad! Can't wait to make this!