Greek Pasta Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
Chilled penne pasta combined with fresh vegetables, kalamata olives, and crumbled feta cheese, dressed in a bright lemon-garlic vinaigrette. This Mediterranean-inspired salad features crisp cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, red bell pepper, and red onion tossed with herb-infused olive oil and lemon juice for a refreshing side dish or light meal.
Ingredients
- 2 lemons, whole
- 1 tbsp lemon zest, finely grated
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 1 package penne pasta, Manny's Choice Organic
- ½ small red onion
- ½ red bell pepper
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 1 cucumber
- ¼ cup kalamata olives
- ½ cup feta cheese, crumbled
- parsley, fresh, for garnish(optional)
- salt, to taste(optional)
- pepper, to taste(optional)
Instructions
- 1
Bring salted water to boil in a pot. Add penne pasta and cook until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water.
- 2
Juice the lemons. Finely chop the garlic and parsley. In a small bowl, combine lemon juice, garlic, parsley, and lemon zest.
- 3
Whisk in olive oil slowly. Season with salt and pepper to taste until combined.
- 4
Roughly chop the red onion, red bell pepper, cucumber, and parsley. Halve the cherry tomatoes and kalamata olives.
- 5
In a large bowl, combine cooled pasta with chopped vegetables. Crumble feta cheese over the mixture.
- 6
Add one-quarter cup of dressing and toss well. Garnish with parsley, salt, and pepper to taste.
Tips
Rinse cooked pasta in cold water to stop cooking and prevent clumping
Whisk olive oil slowly into dressing to emulsify and create a cohesive vinaigrette
Reserve extra dressing to add at serving if salad dries out
Good to Know
Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Store extra dressing separately.
Prepare all vegetables and dressing up to 8 hours ahead. Cook pasta and assemble 2-4 hours before serving to allow flavors to meld.
Serve chilled or at room temperature. Stir well before serving and adjust seasoning as needed. Drizzle with additional dressing if desired.
Common Mistakes
Do not over-cook pasta to avoid mushy texture in the finished salad
Do not skip chilling the pasta to prevent a warm, wilted salad
Do not add dressing too far in advance to avoid oversaturated pasta