Ancient Greeks ate pasta salad 2,000 years before Italy—archaeologists found dried wheat noodles in Mediterranean trading posts.
Mediterranean Pasta Salad
Dive into a vibrant Mediterranean Pasta Salad that's not only a breeze to whip up but also a powerhouse of flavor! Packed with juicy cherry tomatoes, crunchy cucumbers, and a drizzle of zesty olive oil, this dish is perfect for meal prep and will brighten up your lunch game. Enjoy a taste of the Mediterranean in every bite!
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(7)
- bell pepper
- chopped cucumber (240 ml)
- a few spoonfuls of garlic hummus (45 ml)
- lemon juice (30 ml)
- red onion
- halved tomatoes (240 ml)
- a little bit of warm water to thin (60 ml)optional
🥛Dairy & Eggs(1)
- reduced fat feta cheese (120 ml)
🫙Pantry Staples(3)
- 1 can chickpeas or some diced rotisserie chickenoptionaldiced rotisserie chicken
- Kalamata olives (120 ml)
- protein pasta of choice (480 ml)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(3)
- some garlic powderoptional
- some oreganooptional
- salt
📦Other(1)
- splash of olive juiceoptional
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Cook the protein pasta according to package instructions.
- 2
In a large bowl, combine the cooked pasta, chopped cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, halved tomatoes, chickpeas (or chicken), Kalamata olives, and feta cheese.
- 3
In a separate bowl, mix the garlic hummus, lemon juice, olive juice, salt, warm water, oregano, and garlic powder to create the dressing.
- 4
Pour the dressing over the pasta salad and mix well.
- 5
Serve immediately or refrigerate for meal prep.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Cook pasta 1-2 minutes less than package directions (to al dente minus) since it will continue absorbing dressing and soften by 15-20% during storage.timing1-2 minutes less
- ✓Rinse cooked pasta with cold water immediately to stop cooking and remove excess starch, preventing the salad from becoming gummy as starches continue to gel.technique
- ✓Salt cucumber slices with 1 teaspoon kosher salt per cucumber and drain for 15 minutes to extract 30-40% of water content, preventing a watery salad.ingredient1 tsp salt, 15 minutes, 30-40% water extraction
- ✓Thin the hummus dressing with warm water at a 3:1 hummus to water ratio to achieve proper coating consistency without breaking the emulsion.technique3:1 ratio
- ✓Add feta cheese just before serving rather than during initial mixing to prevent the 4-6% salt content from drawing moisture and making other ingredients soggy.timing4-6% salt content
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
Share this recipe
Ancient Greeks ate pasta salad 2,000 years before Italy—archaeologists found dried wheat noodles in Mediterranean trading posts.
Mediterranean Pasta Salad
Dive into a vibrant Mediterranean Pasta Salad that's not only a breeze to whip up but also a powerhouse of flavor! Packed with juicy cherry tomatoes, crunchy cucumbers, and a drizzle of zesty olive oil, this dish is perfect for meal prep and will brighten up your lunch game. Enjoy a taste of the Mediterranean in every bite!
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(7)
- bell pepper
- chopped cucumber (240 ml)
- a few spoonfuls of garlic hummus (45 ml)
- lemon juice (30 ml)
- red onion
- halved tomatoes (240 ml)
- a little bit of warm water to thin (60 ml)optional
🥛Dairy & Eggs(1)
- reduced fat feta cheese (120 ml)
🫙Pantry Staples(3)
- 1 can chickpeas or some diced rotisserie chickenoptionaldiced rotisserie chicken
- Kalamata olives (120 ml)
- protein pasta of choice (480 ml)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(3)
- some garlic powderoptional
- some oreganooptional
- salt
📦Other(1)
- splash of olive juiceoptional
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Cook the protein pasta according to package instructions.
- 2
In a large bowl, combine the cooked pasta, chopped cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, halved tomatoes, chickpeas (or chicken), Kalamata olives, and feta cheese.
- 3
In a separate bowl, mix the garlic hummus, lemon juice, olive juice, salt, warm water, oregano, and garlic powder to create the dressing.
- 4
Pour the dressing over the pasta salad and mix well.
- 5
Serve immediately or refrigerate for meal prep.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Cook pasta 1-2 minutes less than package directions (to al dente minus) since it will continue absorbing dressing and soften by 15-20% during storage.timing1-2 minutes less
- ✓Rinse cooked pasta with cold water immediately to stop cooking and remove excess starch, preventing the salad from becoming gummy as starches continue to gel.technique
- ✓Salt cucumber slices with 1 teaspoon kosher salt per cucumber and drain for 15 minutes to extract 30-40% of water content, preventing a watery salad.ingredient1 tsp salt, 15 minutes, 30-40% water extraction
- ✓Thin the hummus dressing with warm water at a 3:1 hummus to water ratio to achieve proper coating consistency without breaking the emulsion.technique3:1 ratio
- ✓Add feta cheese just before serving rather than during initial mixing to prevent the 4-6% salt content from drawing moisture and making other ingredients soggy.timing4-6% salt content