When the summer heat hits and you’re craving something fresh, vibrant, and satisfying, this Mediterranean Pasta Salad is the answer. It’s the kind of meal prep hero that works just as well for weekday lunches as it does for backyard barbecues, potlucks or picnics. It’s packed with crisp veggies, soft cheese, and a tangy vinaigrette.
Pair it with one of my summer recipes or grilling recipes. I love to serve it with Chicken Shish Tawook or Beef Shish Kebabs. More menu and pairing ideas below!
Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
- Effortless to make: One pot for boiling, one bowl for tossing. Minimal fuss, maximum flavor just like my Elote Pasta Salad.
- Perfect for summer: With ripe cherry tomatoes, fresh herbs, and a chilled serving, this is the ultimate summer salad recipe.
- Meal Prep Wonder: It’s a great recipe for meal prepping. Just portion it into individual containers and enjoy over the course of a few days.
Ingredients
A very uncomplicated salad with very simple and accessible ingredients. Here’s what you will need:
- Pasta: Any short variety works (penne, rotini, fusilli pasta). Whole wheat pasta or gluten-free pasta are great substitutes.
- Fresh Tomatoes: Cherry tomatoes work well. You can use grape tomatoes, cocktail tomatoes or even large slicers. If you do use large beefsteak or heirloom tomatoes, you may want to consider removing some of the seeds. They can make the salad mushy and wet.
- Cucumbers. I prefer using Persian cucumbers, but you can totally use English cucumbers. The key is to cut the cucumbers into chunks the same size as the tomatoes. If you’re a fan of cucumbers, try my Cucumber Chickpea Feta Salad.
- Onion. I like using red onion here, but feel free to use white, yellow or sweet onions. Or use green onions for less kick. To reduce the sharpness of the diced onions, soak them in cold water to mellow out the bite.
- Olives. Kalamata olives are great and my preferred kind of olive in this type of recipe. But green olives will work just fine. You can skip the olive and use capers or artichoke hearts if you please.
- Cheese. I prefer a mild cheese to balance the tangy dressing, and that’s why Bocconcini/mozzarella balls work well. I use them in my Bean Antipasto Salad too. Feta cheese, goat cheese or vegan cheese are good alternatives.
- Fresh Herbs. I am using fresh basil and fresh parsley picked right from my garden, but feel free to use what you have on hand. Dill would work well too.
Refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for a full list of ingredients and quantities.
How to Make this Mediterranean Pasta Salad recipe
This quick and easy recipe comes together in under 20 minutes!
Step 1. Cook Pasta. Boil your pasta in a large pot of salted water until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking and cool it down.
Step 2. Make Dressing. In a large serving bowl, whisk together the extra-virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, red wine vinegar, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper.
Step 3. Assemble. Add the cooled pasta to the bowl along with halved cherry tomatoes, chopped cucumber, diced red onion, olives, bocconcini, parsley, and basil.
Step 4. Toss, Taste and Adjust. Give it a good toss until well combined. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Pairing and Menu Ideas
This is an excellent salad to serve as a starter or as a side with one of my grilled or roasted Mediterranean or Middle Eastern protein recipes. Serve it with:
Expert Tips
- Prep ahead. This salad tastes even better after a few hours in the fridge. Just hold off on adding the herbs until serving so they don’t brown.
- Customize it: Add in artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, red pepper flakes, red bell pepper, Dijon mustard, baby spinach, fresh arugula, pine nuts, or other fresh veggies.
- Add more protein! Add chickpeas or beans. Try some of my other hearty salads: Kale Chickpea Salad, Greek Butter Bean Salad or Greek Chicken Salad.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! It’s a meal prep dream. Make it up to 2 days in advance and store it in a container with a tight-fitting lid. Just refresh it with a drizzle of olive oil and a handful of fresh herbs before serving.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. It’s perfect for lunchboxes or quick dinners.
Other Salad Recipes
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Mediterranean Pasta Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ lb Pasta – Use fusilli, penne, or other small shape
- ¼ cup Extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoon Red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Lemon juice – Juice from half a lemon
- 1 tablespoon Dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon Black pepper
- 1 pint Cherry tomatoes (halved)
- 3 Persian cucumbers (chopped)
- ½ Red onion (finely diced)
- 1 cup Mozzarella balls
- ¼ cup Kalamata olives (chopped) – Pitted
- 2 tablespoon Parsley (chopped)
- 2 tablespoon Basil (chopped
Instructions
- Cook Pasta. Boil ½ lb Pasta in a large pot of salted water until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking and cool it down.
- Make Dressing. In a large serving bowl, whisk together ¼ cup Extra virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoon Red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon Lemon juice, 1 tablespoon Dried oregano, 1 teaspoon Kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon Black pepper.
- Assemble. Add the cooled pasta to the bowl along with 1 pint Cherry tomatoes (halved), 3 Persian cucumbers (chopped), ½ Red onion (finely diced), 1 cup Mozzarella balls, ¼ cup Kalamata olives (chopped), 2 tablespoon Parsley (chopped), and 2 tablespoon Basil (chopped.
- Toss, Taste and Adjust. Give it a good toss until well combined. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Notes
- Short pasta: Any variety works (penne, rotini, fusilli pasta). Whole wheat pasta or gluten-free pasta are great substitutes.
- Onion. I like using red onion here, but feel free to use white, yellow or sweet onions. Or use green onions for less kick. To reduce the sharpness of the diced onions, soak them in cold water to mellow out the bite.
- Olives. Kalamata olives are great and my preferred kind of olive in this type of recipe. But green olives will work just fine.
- Cheese. I prefer a mild cheese to balance the tangy dressing, and that’s why Bocconcini/mozzarella balls work well. Feta cheese, goat cheese or vegan cheese are good alternatives.
- Fresh Herbs. I am using fresh basil and fresh parsley picked right from my garden, but feel free to use what you have on hand. Dill would work well too.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
The kind of dish you won’t want to stop eating! I legitimately had some for breakfast the next day because I couldn’t wait to eat it.
Don’t skip on the herbs and lemon, they really make everything pop.
Modifications: I added extra dressing and cheese because that’s the kind of person I am. Omitted the olives because my husband doesn’t like them. Still delicious without! May add beans in the future since I usually toss them in any pasta salad.
Recipe is easy to follow and the dish comes together quickly. Looking forward to making this again!
Thanks for the review, Eri!