Greek Pasta Salad with Feta
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This Greek Pasta Salad with Feta gets its bright tangy flavor from fresh veggies, crab, and a homemade Greek vinaigrette.Â
Looking for more summer favorites? Check out this Italian Bowtie Pasta Salad or this collection of Sides for Burgers and Hot Dogs!
Table of Contents
![This Greek Pasta Salad with Feta Cheese is bright, tangy, and loaded with fresh veggies!](https://neighborfoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/greek-pasta-salad-with-feta-2.jpg)
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.
![This Greek Pasta Salad with Feta Cheese is loaded with fresh veggies, crab, and a tangy Greek vinaigrette.](https://neighborfoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/greek-pasta-salad-with-feta-3.jpg)
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 Greek Pasta Salad with Feta and Crab is light, refreshing, and perfect for summer get togethers!](https://neighborfoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/greek-pasta-salad-with-feta.jpg)
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!
![This Greek Pasta Salad with Feta Cheese is bright, tangy, and loaded with fresh veggies!](https://neighborfoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/greek-pasta-salad-with-feta-2-400x400.jpg)
Greek Pasta Salad with Feta
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.
Notes
- Black olives would also be a great addition to this salad.
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!