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penne pasta with sundried tomatoes, feta cheese, kalamata olives in a white baking dish.
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4.50 from 2 votes

Greek Pasta Salad With Penne

Easy Greek penne pasta salad coated in a creamy homemade Greek dressing with crumbled feta cheese, sundried tomatoes, kalamata olives, roasted pine nuts, and sweet fresh basil!
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Additional Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 20 minutes
Course: Salads + Soups
Cuisine: Greek
Keyword: easy penne pasta salad, greek summer recipes, pasta salad
Servings: 6 Servings
Calories: 380kcal
Author: Ria Mavrikos

Ingredients

Creamy Greek Dressing

  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • 1/4 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Greek all-purpose seasoning Cavender's
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt
  • 3 tablespoons mayonnaise

Greek Pasta Salad

  • 1 package of penne pasta 500 grams / 1.1 lb.
  • 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil to add to the boiling pasta water
  • 1 teaspoon salt to add to the boiling pasta water
  • 1/2 cup sundried tomatoes drained and sliced
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts lightly toasted
  • 1/2 cup feta cheese crumbled
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup kalamata olives pitted and sliced

Instructions

  • Roast the pine nuts and prepare the creamy Greek salad dressing. Preheat your oven to 200°F on bake. Once the oven is preheated, place the pine nuts in a small baking pan and bake them in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until lightly roasted. Once they're toasted, remove the pine nuts from the oven and allow them to cool completely. In a large bowl, combine the extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, fresh lemon juice, Greek seasoning, seasoning salt, honey, garlic powder, and mayo. Whisk the dressing ingredients together and set aside.
  • Boil the penne pasta. Boil the penne pasta in a large pot of salted water and follow the package cooking time for al dente penne. The penne pasta will be ready when it's still a bit chewy or tender. While the pasta cooks, slice the sundried tomatoes into thin slices. Then, finely slice the fresh basil, and slice the kalamata olives into halves or quarters. Crumble the feta into smaller pieces with a fork or your hands.
  • Assemble the pasta salad. Strain the pasta and rinse it well with cold water. This will prevent the penne pasta from sticking together and will help prevent the pasta from becoming overcooked. Add the cooked, cooled pasta to the large bowl with the dressing and stir until the penne pasta is well coated in the Greek dressing. Add in the roasted pine nuts, sundried tomatoes, fresh basil, kalamata olives, and crumbled feta cheese. Mix together, cover the pasta salad with saran wrap, and refrigerate the pasta salad for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Notes

  • For best results, the penne pasta should be "al dente" meaning there is a slight chewiness or tenderness to the pasta.
  • Rinse the strained pasta with cold water to prevent the penne from sticking together
  • Because pine nuts have a high-fat content, it's a good idea to keep an eye on them while they're in the oven so that they don't burn.
  • This Greek pasta salad makes a great side dish since the flavours aren't super overpowering, but you can substitute or add more ingredients if you'd like.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 380kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 14g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 955mg | Potassium: 372mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 289IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 1mg