For Unforgettable Pasta Salad, Make It Greek-Style

Pasta is an incredibly versatile dish. You can coat it in sauce, air fry it for crispy chips, or even put it on pizza (penne vodka pizza, anyone?). And if serving it cold, it's likely going to be in the form of a pasta salad: a blend of pasta and dressing, plus your favorite toppings. To give your pasta salad loads of flavor without any complicated recipe, however, just make a Greek-inspired version. 

The Greek-style flavors come from adding feta to this dish, plus Mediterranean veggies and Greek dressing. Feta is a salty, crumbly Greek cheese that adds a savory flavor to the dish. As far as vegetables, common veggies used in Mediterranean cooking include cucumber, red onion, tomatoes, and kalamata olives. Cucumber is refreshing and crunchy with a subtle sweetness, while tomatoes and red onion add some acidity to the rich pasta. Similarly to feta, kalamata olives are going to add a salty, briny flavor. You are welcome to use olives and feta together in your Greek pasta salad, just avoid adding any extra salt; there's plenty in both of these.

A Greek pasta salad can be built in two ways: with a creamy mayo-based dressing or a zesty vinegar-based dressing. For a mayonnaise-style dressing, you only need three ingredients: mayo, red wine vinegar, and Greek seasoning. The red wine vinegar balances the rich mayo with its tangy zing, and Greek seasoning takes those Mediterranean-style dried spices, herbs, and aromatics (think garlic, basil, rosemary, and lemon) and brings them right into the dressing for easy distribution in the salad.

If you opt for a vinaigrette-style base, you pretty much only need to swap the mayonnaise for olive oil and the red wine vinegar for lemon juice (stick with red wine vinegar if you don't have any fresh lemon). Don't be afraid to use a 1:1 ratio of both, it will give way more flavor to your pasta salad. Then, just add in the Greek seasoning, and you have a rich, tangy vinaigrette that seals the deal on this pasta salad. If you want a touch of sweetness to further balance those acidic ingredients, whisk a little honey into either dressing.