Salty feta, crunchy veggies, tangy olives, and fresh herbs get tossed with pasta and drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice to make a quick, easy side dish or meal for a hot summer day! 
Do you ever hit a point where you only want cold foods? I’m there right now. It’s been in the high 80s/low 90s for over a week, and my whole life is starting to feel sticky. Gross, yes, but true nonetheless. My classroom turns into a pre-teen scented sauna by about 1:00pm, and despite choosing a career that encourages me to dress formally, I’m finding myself wearing as little clothing as possible. On these days, there’s no way I’m eating anything remotely warm. If it’s not cold, I’m not interested.
Pasta salad is the perfect warm weather food; it’s cold, crunchy, and refreshing, but still filling enough to call a meal. I chose a brown rice & quinoa pasta for this recipe, which is full of protein, and conveniently gluten-free. We’ve been loving this particular pasta from Trader Joe’s for over a year, and no one has even noticed that it’s not “regular” pasta. 
I think you’re going to love this simple, 1-bowl pasta salad just as much as I did. It’s crunchy from the cucumber and red onion, salty and tangy from the feta and kalamata olives, a little sweet from the fresh tomatoes, and hearty from the pasta. Instead of making a separate dressing or sauce for this salad, the dressing ingredients get added straight to the bowl and tossed up with the pasta and veg. I’m talking about fresh herbs, lemon zest and juice, and olive oil. Fast, simple, and completely delicious. 
This pasta salad would be welcome at any picnic, potluck, or barbecue you’re attending/hosting this summer. It is also great for a busy workweek in a hot, sticky classroom too. So, what I’m really trying to say is, make this pasta salad; you won’t regret it. If you can boil pasta and chop vegetables, you can make this. If you can do those things at the same time, you can make this in under 20 minutes, start to finish. If you try out this simple, wholesome meal, let me know! Leave a comment below, or tag me #bakedgreens on Instagram so I can follow along with your pasta salad adventures!
Greek Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 lb short pasta of choice I used GF brown rice & quinoa fusilli
- 1 large seedless cucumber diced
- 1 small red onion diced
- 1 lb cherry tomatoes halved
- 8 oz feta diced
- 1/2 cup kalamata olives halved
- a handful each of parsley and basil roughly chopped
- juice and zest of 2 lemons
- 6 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste (depending on how salty your feta is)
Instructions
- 1. Cook pasta according to package directions, or until al dente. Drain and run under cold water until completely cool. Dump pasta into a bowl, add all remaining ingredients, and toss to combine. Taste, and add more salt/pepper, if needed.
- 2. This pasta salad can be eaten immediately at room temperature, or stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.*
Notes