Easy Greek Pasta Salad with Homemade Dressing is made with fresh ingredients including tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, olives and feta cheese. It can be made in minutes and is best made ahead!
Ingredients
1 1/2lbsmall- shell shaped pasta
1cupdiced celery or green or red pepper
1 14-15ozcan small or medium pitted black or green olives, drained
1mediumcucumber seeded and diced, about 2 cups chopped
1bunchgreen onions, chopped
3 mediumdiced tomatoes, seeded and chopped OR 8 oz grape or cherry tomatoes
1/2cupgrated Parmesan cheese
8-10oz.crumbled feta (also reserve some for topping salad)
Dressing:
1 1/4cupprepared "Zesty Italian" bottled dressing
1/2cupmayo, regular or light
1tablespoondry oregano
OR to make homemade dressing:
1/4cupolive oil
1/3-1/2*cupwhite balsamic vinegar
1/2cupmayo or plain unsweetened Greek yogurt, I prefer yogurt
1cloveminced garlic, about 1 teaspoon
1tablespoondry Italian seasoning
1tablespoondry parsley or 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2teaspoonsalt
ground pepper
1-2teaspoonshoney, to taste
Instructions
Cook pasta according to package directions, taking care to not overcook. Rinse with cold water and drain well.
Add celery (or peppers), olives, cucumber, green onions, and tomatoes to pasta in large bowl. Set aside 1/2 to 1 cup of this mixture for topping salad.
In a small bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients. If using bottled dressing, whisk dressing, mayo, oregano and pepper. If homemade, place all ingredients in a jar or deep bowl or blender. Use an immersion blender or regular blender to mix dressing. Set in fridge until ready to use.
Fold dressing and cheeses into pasta and vegetable mixture.
Add tomatoes, folding in gently.
Sprinkle reserved feta and a few reserved vegetables on top of salad before serving.
Notes
I use a portion of the dressing on the salad when tossing with vegetables and cheeses. If I serve it right away, I drizzle more on top after arranging. If I wait to serve it later in the day or the next day, I toss again with more dressing before serving and serve any remaining dressing on the side.
When making the dressing, I start out with 1/3 cup of vinegar. If the dressing seems a little heavy, add another few tablespoons of white balsamic to the dressing and blend. You may also thin the dressing with a bit of cold water.