Healthy Greek Pasta Salad

Have you ever brought a dish to a potluck and had no one eat it? Well, it's happened to me. And it's happened more than once. And it's not fun. In fact, it downright sucks. Maybe it's a timing thing or a table placement issue, but it's still disheartening to look over and see that your dish has barely been touched.

If this has happened to you and you want to avoid it in the future, then make this Healthy Greek Pasta Salad-  it is one of the best summer potluck dishes around! It's not only healthy, it’s easy to prepare and always a hit at any potluck or BBQ.  And it's so simple. But aren't most good things in life?

I think that is perhaps part of the issue when my food doesn't get eaten, I try to get too fancy and don't remember to stick to the KISS principle (Keep It Simple Stupid). But either way, I will go to great lengths in order to avoid bringing that food home.

During the course of the potluck, I find myself glancing over at the table, monitoring the progress of my dish. And if I see it's not getting eaten, I sort of go into a bit of panic mode. Out of pure desperation, I have actually asked people if they've tried the dish, then hinted to them how great it is and directed them to it's placement on the table. It's pathetic, I know, but I just can't stand to put all that work into something and have it just sit there or go to waste, especially when I know how damn good it is! And I definitely don't want to be taking it home.

Potluck Fail!

I was taught that you don't take home your leftovers - they are for the host. So, unless your host insists you take it home, which is a sure sign of food failure, taking home your potluck leftovers is not only an admission of failure, it's tacky.

And it's really the same principal as purging stuff from my house. Once I drop that dish off on the potluck table, as far as I'm concerned, it's gone; I have officially parted with it. I don't want it back and have no more room for it in my fridge or my life. Although my kids constantly beg me to bring leftovers home, I will do just about anything to avoid leaving a potluck with leftovers in tow, including abandonment. You'll be comforted to know that I never had to take this leftovers of this salad home.

🥘 Ingredients

What I love about this cold pasta salad recipe is how healthy and simple the dressing is! It's made with real ingredients too. All you need for this Greek salad dressing is:

• fresh garlic
• freshly squeezed lemon juice
• olive oil

For the salad part you need: 

• pasta
• red onion
• tomatoes
• English cucumbers
• red bell peppers
• feta (I use light/low-fat)
• Kalamata olives (you can use regular sliced black olives, but the Kalamata olives are so much better!)
• fresh herbs ( mint and basil)

📖Variations & Substitutions

• Herbs -I do not recommend using dried herbs
• Garlic - you can use minced garlic in a jar, if you don't have fresh
• Pasta - I use rotini, but you could use penne, orzo pasta, bowtie pasta or another type of pasta. You can use whole wheat pasta, smart pasta or a lighter pasta to bring down the WW points.
• Gluten-free- use a gluten-free pasta
• Lemon juice- if you don't have fresh lemon juice, use concentrated, but only use HALF the amount.
• Tomatoes - you can substitute cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes
• Add ins - add grilled chicken and make it a complete meal!

👪 Serving size

And if you are looking for summer BBQ side dish ideas, this healthy Greek Pasta Salad is perfect to whip up on a hot summer day. I double up the recipe if serving a large group. But you can scale it for any size group, including a family dinner. Just click on the serving size (highlighted in blue) on the recipe card, adjust for how many servings you'd like and the ingredient quantities will magically adjust! 

🔢WW Points

This delicious pasta salad recipe is Weight Watchers friendly @ 5 WW points on my plan (with regular pasta) and light feta. If you use a lighter pasta and fat -free feta cheese, it will bring down the points.

🥗 Main Dishes

Some main dishes to eat with this Greek Pasta Salad are:

• Marinated Grilled Maple Pork (shown)
• Monterey Chicken - Bonanza Copycat
• Slow Cooker Pulled Pork on a Bun
• BBQ Beer Can Chicken Recipe (healthy)

🔪 Instructions

You can make this pasta salad recipe a day ahead or prepare it quickly right before you need it - it doesn't take long. Oh and no oven required, just stove top!

🍽Equipment

For this healthy pasta salad recipe, you'll need a large pot, a large mixing bowl and a juicer (affiliate link_ will also come in handy.

🌡️Storage

Store leftovers of this Greek Pasta Salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. If you are making it in advance, make the pasta head of time, cut up the veggies, mix the dressing, then store the vegetables, dressing and cooked pasta in their own individual containers and mix together prior to serving. These ingredients do not freeze well.

So, if you don't want to leave the potluck, shamelessly with leftovers in hand, then keep it simple and make this Mediterranean Pasta Salad- it's the best Greek pasta salad! It's such a yummy, refreshing and healthy summer salad and the perfect side dish, you'll be lucky if there's any left!

Happy potlucking!

If you like Greek Pasta, you may also like my Healthy Greek Pasta Toss!

⭐ Reviews

Did you LOVE this Greek Pasta Salad recipe? IF so, please leave a 5 star rating and comment below!

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5 from 2 votes

📋 Healthy Greek Pasta Salad Recipe

A delicious and refreshing Healthy Greek pasta salad recipe made with creamy feta cheese, cucumbers, tomatoes and fresh herbs in only 20 minutes! It's WW friendly! Perfect summer BBQ, summer picnic or potluck idea!

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine Greek, Mediterranean

Keyword greek, mediterranean, pasta salad

Special Diet Vegetarian, Weight Watchers

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings 10 servings

Calories 123kcal

Author Terri Gilson

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• 3 cups tri-color rotini or any spiral pasta
• ¼ cup medium red onion diced
• 1 large tomato diced
• ½   a seedless English cucumber diced
• 1 red peppers seeded and diced
• ¾ cup light feta cheese
• ½ cup black Kalamata olives I also use the pre-sliced ones if I feel extra lazy -they don't look as nice, but they save you the hassle of dealing with pits and/or chopping
• 4.5 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 4.5 teaspoon olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 3 tablespoon each chopped fresh mint and basil

Garnish

• additional fresh basil and mint, as desired
• fresh lemon wedges, if desired

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Cook pasta in water (as per package directions) until tender (al dente), but still firm. Drain and rinse with cool water until cooled.
• In large bowl, combine cooked pasta and remaining ingredients, tossing well. Serve.
• May be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Notes

*See post contents for important recipe information and tips!

Nutrition Facts

📋 Healthy Greek Pasta Salad Recipe

Amount Per Serving (1 cup)

Calories 123 Calories from Fat 54

% Daily Value*

Fat 6g9%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Cholesterol 12mg4%

Sodium 290mg13%

Potassium 122mg3%

Carbohydrates 12g4%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 2g2%

Protein 4g8%

Vitamin A 740IU15%

Vitamin C 24.2mg29%

Calcium 82mg8%

Iron 0.7mg4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

 

 

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 123kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 290mg | Potassium: 122mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 740IU | Vitamin C: 24.2mg | Calcium: 82mg | Iron: 0.7mg

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