Greek Pasta Salad with Feta
This Greek Pasta Salad with Feta gets its bright tangy flavor from fresh veggies, crab, and a homemade Greek vinaigrette.ย
Looking for more summer favorites? Check out this Italian Bowtie Pasta Salad or this collection of Sides for Burgers and Hot Dogs!
Greek Pasta Salad with Feta
Some things from childhood just stick. Like folding the towels in thirds. Or pouring milk on chocolate cake. Or putting crab in pasta salad.
As a kid I hated pasta salad, but my mom made a version that I could tolerate. It was filled with veggies and hunks of Swiss cheese, drenched in Italian dressing, then sprinkled with crab. It didn’t have a speck of mayo or mustard in it, which were the offending ingredients in other pasta salads, which I avoided like the plague.
Since my picky tween years, I’ve developed a love for pasta salad, even the creamy varieties (see this Southwest Pasta Salad).
Still, my favorite pasta salads are the ones just like my momma used to make: full of veggies, cheese, and a sprinkling of crab, with a puckery vinaigrette dressing.
Here, I’ve given that equation a decidedly Mediterranean flair, with a quick toss of tomatoes, zucchini, cucumber, broccoli and bell pepper, complimented by feta cheese and a Greek vinaigrette.
Homemade Greek Vinaigrette
While we’re on the topic of homemade dressings, let’s have a little side convo. I’m what you might call a dressing hoarder. I keep several different varieties of bottled dressings in my fridge at all times. I just can’t settle for one variety.
I have to have a vinaigrette, a creamy Caesar dressing, a homemade Italian Dressing, and a ranch on hand…and that’s the bare minimum. I mean, you just never know when you may need a dip of blue cheese or a drizzle of balsamic reduction!
This Greek dressing was what first changed my view on homemade dressings (so easy!), and it’s quickly earned its spot as a must-have in the fridge. It takes about 5 minutes to throw all the ingredients in a jelly jar, then all you have to do is shake it up.
It’s a nice vinaigrette that has just the right amount of pucker and Greek seasonings. It’d be just as good on an Easy Garden Salad or a Greek Chickpea Salad as it is on this quick and easy pasta salad.
This was a huge hit at our church potluck, and is sure to disappear at your summer cookouts. After all, who can resist a bright and tangy pasta salad with feta cheese? File this one away, folks…it’s another great recipe to have in your cookout arsenal!
Greek Pasta Salad with Feta
Greek Pasta Salad is loaded with summer vegetables, feta cheese, and crab in a puckery Greek vinaigrette.
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 8 oz. rotini
- 8 oz. imitation flake crab, chopped
- 1 head broccoli, chopped into small florets
- 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1/2 orange bell pepper, chopped
- 1 small zucchini, sliced
- 1 small cucumber, sliced and halved
- 4 oz. grape tomatoes, halved
- 2 green onions, diced
- 4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
For the dressing:
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in salted water according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.
- Throw the pasta, all the veggies, the crab, and the feta cheese together in a large bowl. Toss to combine.
- In a jelly or jam jar, combine all the dressing ingredients. Screw the lid on extra tight and shake for about 2 minutes or until well combined. Pour over the salad ingredients and stir to coat. Chill until ready to serve.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 175Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 365mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gProtein: 7g
Please note nutritional information for my recipes is calculated by a third party service and provided as a courtesy to my readers. For the most accurate calculation, I always recommend running the numbers yourself with the specific products you use.
A Greek Salad without ANY black or Calamata olives, REALLY? Feta Cheese alone doesn’t make this a Greek Salad! That being said, I would definitely blanch & shock the broccoli, so that it wouldn’t be difficult to chew. I plan to make & bring this salad to a barbecue tomorrow. I’ll use tri-colored Rotini, and I’ll use shrimp instead of ‘imitation’ crab, b/c that’s what I have. I plan to add sliced Calamata olives, and a handful of chopped Flat Leaf Parsley, for more flavor.
I love a good greek salad and adding pasta too, sounds fantastic!