If you've ever stared at a half-empty container of Tzatziki in your fridge and wondered what to do with leftover Tzatziki sauce, this Easy Tzatziki Pasta is the ultimate "The Lazy Way" answer. I'm always looking for clever ways to repurpose leftovers, and it turns out that Tzatziki makes an absolutely spectacular, creamy pasta sauce! And you only need 1 cup.
This easy dish is a Mediterranean-inspired dream that comes together in the time it takes to boil your noodles. It's zesty, garlicky, and packed with protein, making it a perfect healthy reset for a busy weeknight. Whether you use my Healthy Homemade Tzatziki Sauce or a store-bought version (which is worth a trip to the grocery for this recipe), this recipe proves that "leftover night" can actually be the most delicious night of the week!
Recipe Overview: Easy Tzatziki Pasta
- Ready In: 15 Minutes
- Serves: 8 servings
- Calories: 343 kcal (approximately, including pasta, chicken, and using store-bought tzatziki sauce). However, this dish has fewer calories using my healthy, lighter tzatziki sauce.
- Main Ingredients: Penne pasta, Tzatziki sauce, cooked chicken breast, sun-dried tomatoes, black olives.
- Dietary Info: High-protein, Weight Watchers Friendly, Nut-free.
- Weight Watchers Points: 6 WW points using penne pasta (see WW points for options).
- Difficulty: Easy.
- Why You'll Love It: You get a creamy, bistro-style pasta without the heavy cream or hours of prep. It's a high-protein, low-point meal that tastes fresh and vibrant, and it's the perfect way to ensure zero food waste!
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- Recipe Overview: Easy Tzatziki Pasta
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- 🥘Ingredient Notes
- 📖Variations & Substitutions
- 🔪Step by Step: How to Make Leftover Tzatziki Sauce Pasta
- Expert Recipe Tips
- 🥗 What to Serve with Tzatziki Pasta
- 🌡️Storage
- 👪 Serving Size
- 🔢WW Points
- ❔ Recipe FAQ'S
- Didn't find the answer you're looking for?
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- Tzatziki Pasta Recipe
After making my Lazy Greek Souvlaki, I'm often left with leftover tzatziki. That's why I created this recipe a few years ago. Although I'm finally just getting to sharing it now!
🥘Ingredient Notes
- Leftover Tzatziki Sauce: This is the base of your sauce. Because it's already seasoned with cucumber, lemon, and garlic, you don't need a long list of spices!
- Cooked Chicken Breast: To keep this truly "The Lazy Way," I use fully cooked, fire-grilled frozen chicken strips (or leftover rotisserie chicken).
- Sun-dried Tomatoes: These add a concentrated burst of sweetness and acidity that cuts through the creamy yogurt in the tzatziki.
- Black Olives: Sliced canned olives provide that essential salty, Mediterranean "pop."
- Penne Pasta: I love penne because the ridges and hollows hold onto the creamy sauce, but any short pasta like rotini or bowties works well.
*Please see recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantities.
📖Variations & Substitutions
- Tzatziki Pasta Salad: This dish is spectacular when eaten cold! Simply toss the ingredients together and refrigerate for an hour for a refreshing Mediterranean pasta salad.
- Vegetarian: Omit the chicken and add a can of rinsed chickpeas or extra veggies like sautéed zucchini or spinach.
- Extra Zing: Stir in a tablespoon of capers or a sprinkle of light feta cheese right before serving.
- Gluten-Free: Simply swap the penne for your favorite gluten-free pasta variety.
- Black Olives: You can use Kalamata olives for a tangy zip!
🔪Step by Step: How to Make Leftover Tzatziki Sauce Pasta
- Step 1: Cook the penne pasta in a pot of water according to package directions until al dente. While the pasta is cooking, finely chop the red onion and fresh basil. Drain the pasta, reserving about ½ cup of the starchy pasta water.
- Step 2: Return the pasta to the pot (turn off the heat). Add the minced garlic, cooked chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, and black olives. Pour the leftover Tzatziki sauce over the mixture. Toss gently to combine. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of the reserved pasta water until it reaches your desired creaminess. Stir in the red onion and fresh basil. Serve immediately while warm, or chill for a cold salad. And that's it!
Expert Recipe Tips
- The "No-Curdle" Rule: Never boil the sauce! Because Tzatziki is yogurt-based, high heat will cause it to separate and curdle. Always toss the sauce with the pasta off the heat. The residual heat from the noodles is plenty to warm the sauce through.
- Pasta Water Magic: Don't skip reserving the pasta water. The starch in the water helps the yogurt sauce cling to the noodles for a velvety finish, especially if your sauce is a little too thick.
- Freshness First: Add the fresh basil at the very last second to keep it from wilting and to ensure the flavor stays bright.
- Freezing Yogurt-Based Pasta: While I've had great success freezing cooked yogurt sauces (like my Pork with Caper Sauce), raw Tzatziki is a bit different because of the fresh cucumbers. If you choose to freeze this, be aware that the sauce may thin out slightly upon thawing. Simply stir in a tablespoon of fresh Greek yogurt while reheating to restore that creamy, restaurant-style texture!
🥗 What to Serve with Tzatziki Pasta
Tzatziki pasta is a complete meal on its own, but it pairs beautifully with homemade Baguette Garlic Bread. If you are looking for something a little lighter, try it with my ww friendly Everything Bagel Cloud Bread (shown).
It also pairs well with a simple garden salad or my Strawberry Spinach Pecan Salad!
🌡️Storage
Fridge: This Easy Tzatziki Pasta will last in the fridge for 3 to 4 days when stored in an airtight container.
However, because this recipe was specifically designed to use leftover Tzatziki and chicken, you need to keep two things in mind:
- The "Oldest Ingredient" Rule: The 3-4 day clock starts from when the chicken was originally cooked, or the Tzatziki was originally made/opened. If your chicken has already been in the fridge for two days before you make the pasta, you should aim to eat the pasta within the next 24-48 hours.
- Texture Changes: Yogurt-based sauces are absorbed by pasta much faster than oil or tomato-based sauces. By day two or three, the pasta may feel a bit dry.
- The "Lazy Way" Fix: If it looks dry when you pull it out for lunch, simply stir in a tablespoon of fresh Greek yogurt or a tiny splash of water to bring back that creamy finish!
Storage Tip: If you are making this as a cold pasta salad for meal prep, keep the fresh basil and red onion in a separate small container and add them right before eating to keep the flavors as bright as possible!
Freezer: If you are okay with the sauce being a little thinner and the texture being softer, go for it! It will still taste delicious because those flavors (garlic, lemon, dill) are freezer-stable. It will last up to 3 months in an airtight container in the freezer.
Reheating: Terri's "Lazy Way" Save:
If you thaw it and find it looks a bit messy or separated:
- Reheat gently (don't let it boil!).
- Drain any excess water that has pooled on top.
- Stir in a fresh dollop of Greek yogurt right before serving. This "tempers" the sauce and brings back that velvety, spectacular look you want.
👪 Serving Size
This recipe makes 12 cups, which is 8 servings @1.5 cups per serving. However, you can half, double, or triple the recipe by clicking on the serving number and selecting the number of servings you'd like. The ingredient quantities will automatically adjust.
🔢WW Points
WW Point Breakdown per 1.5 cup serving:
- Sauce & Mix-ins only: 2 Points
- Total with White Pasta or Whole Wheat pasta: 6 Points
- Total with Zoodles: 2 Points
Note: Points are calculated based on the current WW program. Be sure to track the specific brand of pasta and Tzatziki you use in your app for the most accurate results!
📉 Terri's "Lazy Way" Tip to Lower the Points:
If 9 points feels a bit high for a weeknight dinner, try the 50/50 Method:
Use 4 cups of real pasta mixed with 4 cups of zucchini noodles. You get the satisfying "bite" of real pasta, but the total points drop to only 4 WW points for a massive 1.5-cup bowl!
This recipe is a Weight Watchers win at just 6 WW points per serving. The points come primarily from the pasta. To keep your total points low, I recommend serving this over 50/50 mix of penne and zoodles!
❔ Recipe FAQ'S
Absolutely! While I love my homemade version, a high-quality store-bought Tzatziki makes this recipe even faster.
How do I prevent the sauce from being too dry?
Yogurt-based sauces can be absorbed by the pasta quickly. If you find it's getting dry, stir in a little extra Tzatziki, a splash of milk, or some reserved pasta water right before serving.
It can be both! It is delicious as a warm, comforting pasta dish, but it also makes a fantastic cold pasta salad for lunches or potlucks.
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Whether you're looking for a fresh way to use up leftovers or just want a 15-minute meal that feels like a treat, this Easy Tzatziki Pasta is a total game-changer. It's creamy, healthy, and fits perfectly into a busy lifestyle. Give this "The Lazy Way" win a try tonight!
And if you love Greek pasta dishes, give my Greek Pasta Toss a try as well!
More Pasta Recipes
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Tzatziki Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups dry penne pasta ¾ bag of penne (about 8 cups cooked penne)
- 2-3 cups cooked chicken breast (I use fully cooked fire grilled frozen chicken strips )
- 200 ml -can of sliced black olives (about ¾ cup)
- ¼ cup sundried tomatoes *If you are using jarred (in oil) drain the oil before chopping
- 2 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 cup Tzatziki sauce -add up to ½ cup more to your taste
- ¼ cup red onion
- 2 tablespoon fresh basil
Garnish (optional)
- lemon wedge
- crushed red pepper
Instructions
- Cook the penne pasta in a pot of water according to package directions until al dente. If you are using frozen chicken strips, cook the chicken in the microwave (as per package directions) while the pasta is cooking.4 cups dry penne pasta, 2-3 cups cooked chicken breast
- While the pasta is cooking, finely chop the red onion and fresh basil. Drain the pasta, reserving about ½ cup of the starchy pasta water.¼ cup red onion, 2 tablespoon fresh basil
- Return the pasta to the pot (turn off the heat). Add the minced garlic, cooked chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, and black olives. Pour the leftover Tzatziki sauce over the mixture. Toss gently to combine. *If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of the reserved pasta water until it reaches your desired creaminess. Stir in the red onion and fresh basil. Serve immediately while warm, or chill for a cold salad.200 ml -can of sliced black olives, ¼ cup sundried tomatoes , 2 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 cup Tzatziki sauce
Garnish
- Garnish a wedge of lemon and crushed red pepper, if desired.lemon wedge, crushed red pepper
Notes
- The "No-Curdle" Rule: Never boil the sauce! Because Tzatziki is yogurt-based, high heat will cause it to separate and curdle. Always toss the sauce with the pasta off the heat. The residual heat from the noodles is plenty to warm the sauce through.
- Pasta Water Magic: Don't skip reserving the pasta water. The starch in the water helps the yogurt sauce cling to the noodles for a velvety finish.
- Freshness First: Add the fresh basil at the very last second to keep it from wilting and to ensure the flavor stays bright.
- Freezing Yogurt-Based Pasta: While I've had great success freezing cooked yogurt sauces (like my Pork with Caper Sauce), raw Tzatziki is a bit different because of the fresh cucumbers. If you choose to freeze this, be aware that the sauce may thin out slightly upon thawing. Simply stir in a tablespoon of fresh Greek yogurt while reheating to restore that creamy texture.
- The "Oldest Ingredient" Rule: The 3-4 day clock starts from when the chicken was originally cooked or the Tzatziki was originally made/opened. If your chicken has already been in the fridge for two days before you make the pasta, you should aim to eat the pasta within the next 24-48 hours.
- Texture Changes: Yogurt-based sauces are absorbed by pasta much faster than oil or tomato-based sauces. By day two or three, the pasta may feel a bit dry.
- The "Lazy Way" Fix: If it looks dry when you pull it out for lunch, simply stir in a tablespoon of fresh Greek yogurt or a tiny splash of water to bring back that creamy, restaurant-style finish!
If you thaw it and find it looks a bit messy or separated:
- Reheat gently (don't let it boil!).
- Drain any excess water that has pooled on top.
- Stir in a fresh dollop of Greek yogurt right before serving. This "tempers" the sauce and brings back that velvety, spectacular look you want.
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