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Easy 30-Minute Vegetarian Mediterranean Pasta Salad with Feta

Close-up of a bowl filled with mediterranean pasta salad featuring rotini, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, olives, and feta cheese.
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Make this refreshing Mediterranean pasta salad in 30 minutes. It is vegetarian, packed with fresh vegetables, tangy feta, and olives, all coated in a zesty lemon vinaigrette. This cold pasta salad is perfect for meal prep or your next picnic side dish.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 12 ounces rotini or penne pasta
  • 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
  • 1 large cucumber, diced
  • 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
  • 1/2 cup chopped red onion
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
  • 1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped
  • For the Zesty Lemon Vinaigrette:
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

  1. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain the pasta and rinse immediately with cold water to stop the cooking process and cool it down. Set aside.
  2. While the pasta cooks, prepare the zesty lemon vinaigrette. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper until well combined.
  3. In a large bowl, combine the cooled pasta, tomatoes, cucumber, Kalamata olives, red onion, artichoke hearts, and parsley.
  4. Add the crumbled feta cheese to the vegetable and pasta mixture.
  5. Pour the zesty lemon vinaigrette over the salad ingredients.
  6. Gently toss everything together until the pasta and vegetables are evenly coated with the dressing.
  7. Cover the bowl and chill the salad in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld. This is a great make ahead salad recipe.

Notes

  • For a protein boost, add one can of rinsed and drained chickpeas or 1 cup of cooked, cooled chicken breast.
  • If you prefer a creamier texture, try a cottage cheese pasta salad variation by mixing 1/2 cup cottage cheese into the dressing.
  • This salad tastes even better the next day, making it ideal for meal prep pasta salad lunches.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://kitchenuser.net/mediterranean-pasta-salad-easy-30-min-recipe/