This crowd pleasing Mediterranean pasta salad recipe will have your party guests going in for round two.
Summer has finally arrived! Maybe not officially just yet, but the weather here in Pennsylvania lately says otherwise. After a long time of not being able to gather with our loved ones, I’m looking forward to summer cook outs. Bring on the pool parties, barbecues, and picnics!
As I’ve mentioned in the past, my husband can be a very picky eater. He’s the kind of guy who would to the grocery store and come back with bags of chips. But that’s one thing that inspires me to create simple, flavorful recipes because if he likes it, I’m confident others will too.
Over the years, he has broadened his horizons a lot when it comes to trying different foods, especially when it comes to things like quinoa. But pasta salad is one dish he always avoids. At least, that was until this Mediterranean pasta salad recipe was born. He not only loves this dish, but even asked that I keep making it.
How To Make This Mediterranean Pasta Salad Recipe
This pasta salad takes on the flavors of the Mediterranean with fresh parsley, tomatoes, kalamata olives, and lemon all playing a vital role. I also like to use tri-color rotini for some extra vibrance, but you can switch it out for your favorite pasta variety. Just make sure to sprinkle some salt in the water you’ll be cooking the pasta in.
What sets this recipe apart is the homemade salad dressing and the key is using a quality olive oil. I do not invest in outrageously priced olive oil. I cook a lot and have bills to pay so it doesn’t make sense for me to just blow through a $50+ bottle of olive oil. However, there is taste difference and you get what you pay for. If you use a cheap bargain-brand olive oil in recipes like this, you will be able to taste it.
Because of this, I use a happy medium approach. If I’m sautéing veggies to throw into something else, like this Mexican pasta bake, I use the bargain olive oil. But I keep a better quality bottle on hand for recipes like this where the taste is more prominent. If you’re not sure where to start, I recommend California Olive Ranch. I’m not in anyway sponsored by them. I just think they have a quality product that’s reasonably priced in comparison to other olive oils on the market. For this pasta salad, I specifically used their medium global blend EVOO.
Mediterranean Pasta Salad Recipe
Serves 4-6, but can easily be doubled for a larger crowd.
Ingredients:
Dressing:
- 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp salt
- 5 twists of fresh ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- Juice of 1 whole lemon
Everything Else:
- 1/2 cup kalamata olives, chopped
- 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, chopped
- 1 cup feta
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 12 oz. box of tri-color rotini (or another pasta of your choice)
Directions:
- Cook the pasta to package directions, rinse with cold water, and set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix all of the dressing ingredients together.
- Once the pasta has cooled, add the feta, parsley, tomatoes, olives and pasta to large bowl or serving dish. Pour the dressing over top and mix together.
- Serve immediately if pasta has fully cooled down or chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour before serving. Just make sure to stir it again when ready to serve.
Made This Recipe? Show Me How It Turned Out!
Share your photos of this Mediterranean Pasta Salad by tagging @the_versatile_virgo on Instagram and hashtag #theversatilevirgo
LOOKING FOR MORE RECIPES?
Check out what I’ve been serving up lately here.
