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    Home » Recipes » Vegetarian

    Mediterranean Pasta Salad

    BY Ayeh Manfre · UPDATED: Jul 3, 25 · PUBLISHED: Feb 22, 21 · 4 Comments

    JUMP TO RECIPE

    My Mediterranean Pasta Salad is a light healthy recipe perfect as a side or main meal. It's also great to prepare in advance as meal prep.

    Pasta salads are great to have on a picnic, BBQ lunch, or as a side dish for any main meal. My Mediterranean Pasta Salad is a healthier version without using any mayonnaise or nasty’s but not missing on any flavour!

    Without any cooking at all besides cooking the pasta, it can be made in 15 minutes. All you need to do is dice the beautiful ingredients, combine it all together with your dressing and give it a good toss together and you’re done!

    If you love pasta salads, then you must try my orzo salad and healthy Italian pasta salad which was inspired by my travels in Italy.

    You can also add your favourite protein of choice to make it more of a main meal like beans, chickpeas, or even grilled chicken. This is a light recipe which will taste amazing with anything. It's also a great salad to make in advance and keeps for days, so can be made to take to work or pack for kids school lunches.

    Table of Contents
    • Ingredients to Make Mediterranean Pasta Salad
    • Important Tips
    • More Pasta Salads
    • Recipe
    • Comments

    Ingredients to Make Mediterranean Pasta Salad

    • Pasta, I've used Fusilli but any other short pasta will do the trick
    • Cherry tomatoes, for this salad I prefer the tomatoes to be a little ripe as they are juicier and sweeter
    • Kalamata olives bring a punch of saltiness to this salad
    • Red onion for its sweetness but you could use shallots as a substitute
    • Parsley brings this salad together. I use 2 decent bunches chopped finely that is used to coat the pasta in it's dressing before all the other ingredients are added in
    • Feta cheese is just perfect for salads and this is no exception. I like to crumble over just before serving.

    Important Tips

    • Don’t overcook the pasta as it will become soft and mushy. You want it to keep some texture
    • It’s best to toss the cooked pasta into the dressing while it’s still hot so it absorbs all the flavours and dressing.
    • Then let the pasta cool down for 5-10 minutes before adding the remaining ingredients
    • I always add the feta cheese after all other ingredients have been mixed in together so its at the top before serving. That way it doesn’t all get lost and too crumbly and stuck at the bottom of the bowl

    More Pasta Salads

    • Orzo Salad
    • Caesar Pasta Salad
    • Greek Orzo Salad
    • Italian Pasta Salad

    I love seeing your creations and remakes, so be sure to tag @cookingwithayeh and share a photo on Instagram so I can share the love.

    Recipe

    Mediterranean Pasta Salad served in a bowl

    Mediterranean Pasta Salad

    4.75 from 8 votes
    This Mediterranean Pasta Salad is a light healthy recipe perfect as a side or main meal. It's also great to prepare in advance as meal prep
    Author: Ayeh Manfre
    Course: Salad
    Cuisine: Mediterranean
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 382kcal
    Print
    Prep Time10 minutes mins
    Cook Time10 minutes mins
    Total Time20 minutes mins

    Ingredients 

    • 500 g short pasta (I’ve used Fusilli)
    • 500 g cherry tomatoes
    • 180 g kalamata pitted olives
    • 1 red onion
    • 2 bunches parsley leaves chopped finely
    • 50 g feta cheese

    Dressing

    • 1 lemon squeezed
    • ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
    • Salt and pepper to taste

    Instructions

    • Dice onion into small cubes and slice cherry tomatoes along with kalamata olives into halves
    • Boil pasta to al dente in heavily salted water (refer to instructions on packet for the timing). Note don't overcook the pasta as it will become mushy
    • While the pasta is cooking, pour dressing ingredients into a large bowl and whisk until combined. Remember not to add too much salt as the olives and feta are quite salty.
      Add half of the chopped parsley to the dressing
    • Once pasta is cooked, strain and add straight to the big bowl with the dressing while its still hot. Mix well so the dressing coats all the pasta
    • Let stand for 5-10 minutes until it has cooled, then add all ingredients except for the feta. Mix until well combined
    • Crumble over the feta upon serving alongside your favourite protein or enjoy on it’s own.  This salad also works great as a side dish for a barbecue or picnic salad
    ⭐️ Final Step! Would love if you left a rating and comment to let me know how it went. Your feedback helps inspire others and means alot ❤️

    Nutrition

    Calories: 382kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 439mg | Potassium: 333mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 508IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 71mg | Iron: 2mg
    Keywords: cold salad, quick, summer

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      Summer Fresh Tomato Pasta
    • Baghali Polo with crispy tahdig on the side
      Baghali Polo - Persian Fava Bean Rice
    • Caesar pasta salad in a bowl with croutons
      Caesar Pasta Salad
    • Caprese sandwich with mozzarella, pesto, tomato and balsamic glaze
      Caprese Sandwich

    Comments

      4.75 from 8 votes (6 ratings without comment)

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Emily Trandafilu says

      May 04, 2021 at 10:06 pm

      5 stars
      The most delicious and easy meal ever! So fresh and the lemon dressing was the most perfect touch! I also added chili flakes to garnish for some spice! Thank you Ayeh!

      Reply
      • Ayeh says

        May 06, 2021 at 12:29 pm

        Oh yummy! One of my fav pasta salads 🙂

        Reply
    2. Sue Stant says

      July 03, 2025 at 10:40 pm

      5 stars
      I’ve made this and it’s delicious. One of my guests won’t eat feta cheese. Any substitute suggestions?

      Reply
      • Ayeh Manfre says

        July 04, 2025 at 5:14 pm

        Yay so glad you love it Sue! try a different cheese like goats cheese or you can also add some artichokes 🙂

        Reply
    Ayeh about me picture

    Hi, I'm Ayeh!

    Hey everyone! I love creating easy everyday recipes with a healthy twist that anyone can make. I will show you that you can eat delicious food, using wholesome ingredients that make you feel good from the inside out!

    About Me →

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