Fall is almost here (hooray!) and I have already been testing and posting recipes for the new season! I just wanted to squeeze in one more fresh, summery dish to go out with a bang. I mean it is still 90 degrees outside, after all.
This pasta salad has all the cool, bright and tart flavors that I crave all summer long! Al dente pasta with crunchy cucumbers and sweet, chewy sun-dried tomatoes are tossed in a tangy lemon-yogurt dressing that is loaded with fresh herbs. Chick peas and feta cheese turn the salad into a hearty and satisfying meal all on its own!
Here’s what you need:
Make the yogurt dressing.
This dressing could not be more simple! Greek yogurt is creamy and tart. It gives great body and richness to the salad. To balance out the rich yogurt, I’ve added bright and tart lemon juice as well as fresh herbs. The dill gives the salad a tzatziki vibe, but if you’re not a big fan you could replace it with mint or basil or just leave it out.
Just give the dressing a mix and pop it into the fridge while you make the rest of the salad.
Assemble the salad.
For best time management, start boiling your water and cooking your pasta first. Then, while it’s cooking and chilling, get all the other ingredients gathered and prepped.
Any type of short pasta would work here. I used farfalle this time, but I have also used fusilli. Penne would also work well here. Cook it for the amount of time specified on the package, then drain it and chill it for roughly 20 minutes. This will give you ample time to get the rest of the salad ready!
Once you’ve got everything sliced and diced and chopped and drained, give it a big toss with the yogurt dressing. Add the feta and the very end, because too much mixing will cause it to mush up. Just fold it in right before serving.
This salad makes a great side dish when grilling because it’s bright and punchy flavors perfectly balance the smoky charred flavor of grilled meats! Or just enjoy it on its own as a light lunch!
Other recipes to try:
Greek Pasta Salad with Yogurt Dressing
Ingredients
Dressing
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp fresh dill chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
Salad
- 8 ounces short pasta such as farfalle or fusilli
- 1 cup canned chick peas drained
- 1/2 cup red onion very thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, chopped
- 1/4 cup pickled peperoncinis sliced
- 2 cups fresh spinach chopped
- 2 cups English cucumber diced
- 4 ounces feta crumbled
Instructions
Make the dressing.
- Add the yogurt, lemon, salt, dill and parsley to a small mixing bowl. Stir to combine. Refrigerate until time to add the dressing to the salad.
Make the salad.
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water that has been seasoned with a couple tablespoons of salt. The cook time will vary depending on the pasta. Refer to the package instructions for cook time. Drain the pasta and place in the refrigerator to chill.Add the chilled pasta to a large mixing bowl with the chick peas, onion, tomatoes, cucumber, spinach and peperoncinis. Add the dressing and toss well to combine. Add the feta to the salad last and gently toss before serving.