Penne Pasta Salad
This Greek-style penne pasta salad is tossed in a light homemade dressing — no mayo, easy to make ahead, and safe to sit out for hours. The ultimate BBQ side dish for summer.
Ingredients
- 12 oz penne pasta
Greek Salad Dressing
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- ½ tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 2 cloves garlic minced or pressed
- 3 tablespoons finely minced onion
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon dried dill
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
Penne Pasta Salad
- ¾ cup baby tomatoes halved
- ¾ cup cucumber cubed
- ½ sweet bell red pepper diced
- ½ cup pitted kalamata olives halved
- 1 14-oz can quartered artichoke hearts drained
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
- ¼ cup fresh parsley or basil roughly chopped
Instructions
- Cook penne according to package directions in heavily salted water until al dente. Drain — do not rinse. Spread onto a sheet pan or large plate and cool completely, about 15–20 minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the red wine vinegar, lemon juice, salt, pepper, maple syrup, garlic, onion, oregano, basil, and dill. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking continuously until emulsified.
- Add the tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, kalamata olives, and artichoke hearts to the dressing. Toss to coat and let sit 15–30 minutes to marinate (skip if short on time).
- Add the cooled pasta and feta cheese. Fold gently until evenly coated.
- Fold in the fresh parsley or basil. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 24 hours.
Notes
- Don't rinse the pasta — it washes off the starch that helps dressing cling.
- Cool pasta completely before adding to the dressing — warm pasta absorbs too much dressing and melts the feta.
- Make-ahead: Reserve 2–3 tablespoons of dressing and toss through before serving — the pasta absorbs it overnight.
- Room temperature: Safe to sit out 2–3 hours without protein add-ins; 1 hour with meat or seafood.
- Gluten-free: Substitute garbanzo bean or brown rice penne.
- Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container for 4–5 days. Does not freeze well.
- Doubling: Doubles and triples easily — keep cook time the same.
- Protein add-ins: Grilled chicken, chickpeas, salami, lunch meat, shrimp, or flaked salmon all work great.
Nutrition
Serving: 1gCalories: 285kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 7gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 462mgPotassium: 171mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 201IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 68mgIron: 1mg
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