The perfect summer side dish, Greek Pasta Salad comes together with tender spaghetti noodles, fresh veggies, and a savory olive oil dressing. Serve it cold with all your favorite main courses for barbecues, picnics, and weeknight dinners! 

A bowl of Greek spaghetti pasta salad topped with feta with noodles twirled around a fork.
Serve this Greek Spaghetti Pasta Salad as a filling side dish.

Who says spaghetti is just for winter? Don’t get us wrong, we love warm, cozy dishes like Oven Baked Spaghetti and Spaghetti Arrabiata Bake. However, with the weather warming up, we find ourselves craving meals a little on the lighter side. 

That said, pasta of all kinds is a staple in our diets, and we aren’t quite willing to give it up when summer comes around. So, we use it in refreshing cold dishes like this Greek Spaghetti Pasta Salad instead! Super filling thanks to the noodles, it’s loaded with fresh veggies and a bold dressing for an easy meal that will fill you up without weighing you down. 

Why You’ll Love Greek Spaghetti Pasta Salad

  • It’s made with fresh, simple ingredients
  • You can prepare it in minutes.
    Leftovers store well to enjoy throughout the week.
  • Ingredients can easily be mixed and matched to suit your flavor preferences and dietary needs. 
Bowls of kalamata olives, halved tomatoes, chopped red and orange bell peppers, cooked spaghetti noodles, and fresh parsley.
Fresh ingredients make this spaghetti pasta salad light, vibrant, and filling.

What You’ll Need  

Like most of our salad recipes, the ingredients for this dish are broken down into two components with the spaghetti pasta salad itself and its accompanying dressing. 

Spaghetti Pasta Salad

  • Spaghetti – You can’t have a spaghetti pasta salad without spaghetti! Cook them to al dente just like you would with a regular ground beef spaghetti recipe
  • Produce – An abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables adds color, bulk, and nutrients to the dish. For Greek-inspired flavor, we include Kalamata olives, red onion, grape tomatoes, Persian cucumbers, and orange and red bell peppers. 
  • Herbs – Fresh Italian parsley adds a vibrant, slightly peppery kick. 
  • Cheese – Technically optional, we love the creamy texture and slightly salty flavor a sprinkle of feta adds. To make this recipe dairy-free, swap it out with a dairy-free cheese. Or, omit it completely. 

Sun-Dried Tomato Dressing

  • Olive Oil – Used to form the base of the dressing while adding healthy fats. We recommend using rich, peppery-flavored extra virgin olive oil. 
  • Sun-Dried Tomatoes – These form the base of the flavor adding a vibrant, acidic flavor that pairs wonderfully with the herbs and spices for a robust, savory taste. 
  • Herbs and Spices – Salt, black pepper, dried oregano, and garlic enhance the Greek flavors. 
  • Lemon Juice – Used to cut through the heaviness of the oil and fats, creating a well-rounded balance of flavors. 
Untossed spaghetti pasta salad with veggies.
Chop your ingredients small so you get a taste of everything with each bite!

How to Make Cold Spaghetti Pasta Salad

This Greek Spaghetti Pasta Salad is so easy to make, it’s guaranteed to become a staple recipe served alongside all your favorite meals like burgers and Chipotle Chicken Skewers

  1. Prepare the Pasta. Cook your spaghetti noodles to al dente according to the package instructions. Then, drain them in a colander, and set them aside. 
  2. Create the Salad. Slice and chop the produce, and combine all the pasta salad ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. 
  3. Make the Dressing. Add all the ingredients to the bowl of a small blender. Pulse until smooth. 
  4. Toss. Pour the dressing over the pasta salad, and toss to combine. Add a sprinkle of feta cheese on top, and serve right away.
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A bowl of spaghetti pasta salad with fresh veggie and a sun-dried tomato dressing with a fork sticking out.
This Greek Spaghetti Pasta Salad serves 8 and can easily be doubled for a large crowd.

Common Questions About Spaghetti Pasta Salad

Is it okay to make spaghetti pasta salad the day before serving? 

Yes! In fact, we recommend doing so, because it allows the ingredients enough time to marinate and absorb the flavor of the dressing. 

How long does this recipe last? 

When stored in an airtight container, leftovers will stay fresh in the fridge for up to 3-5 days. Just give them a good toss before serving! 

Can I freeze spaghetti pasta salad? 

No, we don’t recommend freezing this spaghetti pasta salad. It won’t thaw well and become soggy and generally not very tasty. 

Do I have to use spaghetti noodles? 

No! Feel free to use whatever noodles you have on hand and like best. 

Can I make this recipe gluten-free? 

Absolutely! Just swap out the spaghetti noodles with your favorite gluten-free alternative. 

Can I add protein? 

Sure, feel free to include any protein you prefer to transform this side dish into a complete meal. Some of our favorite options include shredded chicken and grilled shrimp.

More Pasta Salad Recipes

Looking for more pasta salad recipes you can feed even the pickiest crowd? Check out more of our favorites below! 

A bowl of Greek spaghetti pasta salad with noodles twined around a fork.

Greek Spaghetti Pasta Salad Recipe

5 from 4 votes
Author: Food Dolls
Servings: 8 servings
Prep: 3 minutes
Cook: 12 minutes
Total: 15 minutes
The perfect summer side dish, Greek Pasta Salad comes together with tender spaghetti noodles, fresh veggies, and a savory olive oil dressing!

Ingredients  

Greek Spaghetti Salad:

  • 1 pound spaghetti noodles uncooked
  • 1 cup Kalamata olives halves
  • 2 cups grape tomatoes halved
  • 1 cup Persian cucumbers chopped
  • 1 orange bell pepper chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper chopped
  • 1/2 small red onion chopped
  • 1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley chopped
  • Optional: feta cheese for garnish

Sun-Dried Tomato Dressing:

  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 3 sun-dried tomatoes drained from oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 garlic clove

Instructions 

  • Cook the spaghetti to al-dente according to the package instructions. Drain, and set aside.
  • Halve the olives and tomatoes. Chop the cucumbers, peppers, and onion.
  • Combine the spaghetti, olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, onion, and parsley in a large mixing bowl.
  • In a small blender, add all the ingredients for the dressing. Pulse until smooth.
  • Pour the dressing over the pasta salad, and toss to combine, coating all the ingredients.
  • Garnish with feta cheese, if desired.
  • Serve immediately.
  • Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 339kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Sodium: 564mg | Potassium: 368mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1650IU | Vitamin C: 49mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Like this recipe?Please leave a comment!

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Meet Alia & Radwa

Welcome to Food Dolls! We’re so glad you found us. We are Alia and Radwa, sisters who want to share simple and easy recipes with you. We hope you find recipes here that you enjoy making as much as we do! Learn more about us!

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