This Mediterranean pasta salad is loaded with the salty, tangy flavors of Kalamata olives, capers, feta cheese, and artichoke hearts tossed with a zesty red wine vinaigrette. Enjoy it with grilled chicken, grilled shrimp, or dry rub grilled pork tenderloin.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
See the complete list of ingredients on the recipe card below.
- Pasta: Any short pasta shape works with this recipe, including penne, rotini, elbow macaroni, farfalle, or cellentani.
- Tomatoes: Cherry and grape tomatoes, sliced in half, are ideal, but you can use any sun-ripened tomato, diced.
- English cucumbers: English cucumbers work best for this salad. The skins are less tough, so peeling is unnecessary, and the seeds are smaller than those of Persian cucumbers.
- Kalamata olives: You can substitute Nicoise or Manzanilla olives.
- Capers: For best results, drain and rinse them to remove the excess salt.
- Chickpeas: Also known as garbanzo beans. Chickpea is the English term, and Garbanzo beans are the Spanish term.
- Artichoke hearts: Canned or jarred in brine, not the ones packed in oil.
- Feta cheese: You can substitute goat cheese. Choose an older, drier goat cheese.
- Vinegar: Use red or white wine vinegar.
- Mustard: Dijon or spicy brown mustard. They both work well.
How To Make Mediterranean Pasta Salad
This is a summary version; for the complete list of ingredients and instructions, please refer to the recipe card below.
- Mix the salad dressing ingredients in a mason jar or in a bowl with a whisk.
- Cook the pasta al dente according to the package instructions, then drain well. cool for a few minutes. See below for my hints on cooling pasta so it does not stick together.
- Add the cooled pasta and the remaining salad ingredients to a large serving bowl.
- Drizzle with the vinaigrette and toss to coat.
Preparation Guidelines
- Use a spider strainer to move the cooked pasta to a baking sheet to drain and cool. This helps keep the pasta from sticking without being rinsed. Rinsing removes starch, and starch helps the sauce stick to the pasta.
- Do not add salt and pepper to this salad until you taste it. Olives, capers, and artichoke hearts are quite salty.
- This salad can be prepared up to a day in advance. Reserve a couple of tablespoons of the vinaigrette, the feta cheese, the arugula, and the parsley until ready to serve.
Perfect Pairings
- Chicken: Greek chicken, garlic butter chicken, or balsamic chicken
- Fish or shrimp: lemon pepper cod, dill-herbed tilapia, or garlic butter shrimp
- Pork: grilled pork tenderloin or stuffed pork tenderloin
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Mediterranean Pasta Salad
This Mediterranean pasta salad is loaded with the salty, tangy flavors of Kalamata olives, capers, feta cheese, and artichoke hearts tossed with a zesty red wine vinaigrette.
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Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 285kcal
Ingredients
Mediterranean Salad Dressing
- ⅓ cup red wine vinegar
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Mediterranean Pasta Salad
- 1 lb uncooked rotini pasta
- 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup quartered and sliced English cucumbers
- ⅓ cup thinly sliced red onions
- 1 cup pitted, halved Kalamata olives
- 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 (14-ounce) can quartered artichoke hearts, drained
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1 cup arugula, roughly chopped
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Mix the red wine vinegar, olive oil, Dijon mustard, garlic, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper in a mason jar or in a bowl with a whisk.
- Cook the pasta al dente according to the package instructions, then drain well. cool for a few minutes.
- Add the cooled pasta, cherry tomatoes, English cucumbers, red onions, Kalamata olives, capers, chickpeas, artichoke hearts, feta cheese, arugula, and parsley to a large serving bowl.
- Drizzle with the vinaigrette and toss to coat.
Notes
- Use a spider strainer to move the cooked pasta to a baking sheet to drain and cool.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 285kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 416mg | Potassium: 228mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 462IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 1mg
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Amy
This was so fresh and bright! The dressing tied all the veggies together perfectly, and it stayed delicious even after sitting in the fridge—it was a big hit for our lunch.
Angela Campos
This Mediterranean pasta salad was so delicious, looking forward to taking it to summer barbecues, can’t wait to make it again!
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Angela!
Gust
Tried it yesterday and it turned out great. Easy to make and tastes even better the next day!
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Gust!
Amy
This was so fresh and full of flavor! The dressing tied all the veggies together perfectly, and it stayed delicious even after sitting in the fridge—a huge hit for our quick lunch.
Beth Pierce
So happy that you liked it, Amy!
Ben
Man, this is good. I love the flavors and that it uses simple ingredients. I don’t like having to go hunting.
Terri
This is absolutely delicious! With those chickpeas in there, it’s a full meal, and I love how light it is.
Catalina
I made this for lunch and it was so fresh and flavorful. The mix of veggies and dressing works really well!
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Catalina!
Tammy
This is my kind of warm-weather picnic salad! So refreshing and hearty…love the fresh, bursting flavors!
Ben
Nice! I threw some peperoni in there. Om nom nom.
Terri
I love these tangy, light flavors in place of a dense, heavy mayo base. Really good.