Looking for a delicious gluten-free pasta salad to add to your menu? Try this creamy Greek pasta salad! It’s loaded with perfectly cooked rotini, crunchy veggies, flavourful feta and olives and tossed in the most amazing yogurt dressing. Great for those summer barbecues and picnics!
Hi friends!
Now that we are full swing ahead into the warmer months, I’m all about easy recipes that require little fuss but still provide tons of flavour.
I’ve always enjoyed pasta salad. Well, I’ve always loved pasta or, um, carbs.
This gluten-free pasta salad is just that.
I remember years ago when hubby and I were only teenagers, going to university, we would often visit the food court at the mall for a little nosh. There was this pizza place where we would love to grab a slice and a big serving of pasta salad. Boy, did I love that place.
These days, I opt to make my own pasta salad and this one is on regular rotation, especially this time of year.
Creamy Greek Salad Dressing
Instead of purely oil or mayo, this pasta salad is tossed with a creamy yogurt dressing.
It’s primarily plain Greek yogurt along with lots of freshly squeezed lemon juice, olive oil and seasonings (like dill and oregano).
This yogurt dressing is herbaceous and totally dill forward (which I love). Also delicious on baked potatoes!
Can I Use Another Pasta?
Definitely!
Rotini pasta was used here, but you can use a similar sized noodle, like penne, fusilli or cavatappi.
Tip: Allow your pasta to cool before dressing. Place drained pasta on a baking tray with a tiny bit of olive oil and allow it to cool or rinse and drain with cold water.
Tip: Cook your pasta a little more than al dente as it will firm up a little when cool.
Tips and Variations
- Like most pasta salads, this will firm up a little in the fridge. Before enjoying, remove from the fridge for a little bit (about 10 to 15 minutes or so) so it gets a little more lush again.
- Don’t need this to be a gluten-free pasta salad? Use your favourite regular variety.
- If you like more (or less) of a particular ingredient, simply adjust to taste.
- To reduce some of the pungency of your red onion, give the sliced onion a little rinse/drain under cold water before adding to your salad.
- Remove the seeds from your cucumber (so it doesn’t water down your pasta salad).
- This recipe yields quite a bit. You can easily reduce if you are feeding fewer people.
More Summer Salads
I hope this Greek pasta salad makes an appearance on your picnic table this summer season. You’re going to love it!
If you make this recipe, be sure to leave a comment below!
This creamy Greek pasta salad recipe was originally published May 29, 2017 but has been updated.
Creamy Greek Pasta Salad
Ingredients
Creamy Dressing
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- ½ cup lemon juice, juiced (from about 3 lemons)
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- ½ to 1 teaspoon dried dill (dill weed), depending on how much dill flavour you like
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
Greek Pasta Salad
- 12 ounces dried gluten-free rotini pasta, about a 340 gram box or ¾ pound
- 1 small red bell pepper, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1 small green bell pepper, chopped (about 1 cup)
- ½ large English cucumber, sliced in half, seeds removed and cut into bite-sized pieces (about 1.5 cups)
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
- ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion
- ½ cup black olives, pitted and sliced
- 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
- Chopped fresh dill leaves or oregano leaves, garnish to taste (optional)
Instructions
Creamy Dressing
- In a bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, dill, garlic, salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper flakes. Pour over pasta salad, stirring in to coat everything. Set aside.
Pasta
- Cook rotini pasta according to package instructions, about 1 to 2 more minutes than al dente. Drain and rinse with cool water. Drain again.
Assemble the Salad With Dressing
- In a large bowl, stir together the pasta, bell peppers, cucumber, grape tomatoes, red onion and olives.
- Add crumbled feta and pour over the creamy dressing. Stir to combine everything.
- Garnish with some fresh dill or oregano if you like. Serve and enjoy!Note: Enjoy immediately or store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 3 to 4 days.
Notes
- Like most pasta salads, this will firm up a little in the fridge. Before enjoying, remove from the fridge for a little bit (about 10 to 15 minutes or so) so it gets a little more lush again.
- Don’t need this to be a gluten-free pasta salad? Use your favourite regular variety.
- To reduce some of the pungency of your red onion, give the sliced onion a little rinse and drain under cold water before adding to your salad.
- Remove the seeds from your cucumber (so it doesn’t water down your pasta salad).
- This recipe yields quite a bit. You can easily reduce if you are feeding fewer people.
A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.
Tried this recipe?
If you do make this recipe, thank you!! It would mean so much if you could leave a comment below. Love to know how you enjoyed it, and it helps other readers too!
Marissa
I do love a good pasta salad, Dawn. This one looks so creamy and fabulous…love all of those Greek flavors!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Thank you! We love it too!
ChefMimi
A really nice pasta salad. I can almost see this served chilled, even though i serve most of mine at least at room temperature. Great picnic food. Love the dressing!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Thanks so much! It’s always a favourite!
Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop
What a great twist on a pasta salad! I love all the Greek flavors. This would be perfect for summertime barbecues! 🙂
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Thanks Kathy! I think so too. 🙂
David @ Spiced
Oh, I am totally craving this pasta salad now, Dawn! My mother-in-law makes an Italian version that I would have to say is one of my top 3 all-time favorite summer recipes. But the Greek spin on this one sounds delicious. I’m thinking a scoop of this pasta salad next to a good grilled backyard burger (and a cold beer, of course) would be a pretty darned awesome summer meal!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
That’s awesome! Thanks David!
Alex
The flavours in this are absolutely delicious, Dawn! I love that this is a good GF and veto option, too!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Thank you Alex!!
Sarah @ Champagne Tastes
I only recently decided that I like cold pasta salad, and it was after eating a Greek one like this!!! It looks SO YUMMMMMM!!!! I need to make this for lunch today!
Girl Heart Food
Yay! Hope you love it, Sarah 🙂
Girl Heart Food
Thank you very much Marissa! Hope you have a wonderful weekend, my friend 🙂
Adina
There is no grill party without a pasta salad around here. Never ever! This is a great one to make soon.
Girl Heart Food
I agree, Adina 🙂 !! Thanks so much!
Ben | Havocinthekitchen
I’m a huge pasta salads fan, and this Greek-inspired version right up my alley. Also, I don’t like those pasta salads loaded with a mayo dressing. So guess what? You’ve created a perfect pasta salad to my liking!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Happy to hear it! Thanks Ben!
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen
This salad is totally up my alley Dawn! I love all the textures and that creamy oregano dressing sounds amazing. I’m always looking for new pasta salad sides for the summer! This one will surely be making an appearance! Pinned! Thanks for sharing Dawn! Hope you have another great weekend of grilling ahead!
cindy
Yes, the 3-day weekend was great. We are prepping to sell our home, so it has been nothing short of chaotic, but onward and upward as it goes on the market tomorrow. This seems like a great meal in and of itself as we are trying to use the kitchen less these days! Keeping this one close by in my recipe drawer.
Girl Heart Food
I can only imagine!! Exciting, though, I’m sure! Good luck with it! Have a great weekend, Cindy 🙂
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary
Sorry I’m a little late to commenting, Dawn! That extended weekend is a killer for productivity!! 😉 You can’t do summer without a pasta salad (or 5,000), so I’m definitely in need of a vat of this Greek flavor bomb! I could seriously make a meal out of this, easy! Cheers, doll!
Girl Heart Food
No worries girl :)! Thanks so much! Hope you have a lovely upcoming weekend!
Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop
I love pasta too! I don’t make pasta salads very often though….I need to change that quickly! This looks packed full of flavor. I love all the healthy veggies you’ve added too! This looks like a winner!
Girl Heart Food
Thank you Kathy! It’s a great one for summer 🙂