Pasta Salad with Feta Cheese and Tomatoes + Video

This Pasta Salad with Feta Cheese seems to get better every time I make it! Kalamata olives plus cherry and sundried tomatoes pair perfectly with the salty, tangy cheese — all in an easy, homemade dressing! Throw together this quick and easy summery dish for dinner tonight.

 

Pasta Salad with Feta Cheese

If you’re familiar with TikTok, you might remember the viral tomato and feta pasta bake that caused a shortage of the crumbly cheese.

Well, I came up with this feta pasta salad recipe as a chilled alternative — perfect for summer!

Sweet tomatoes and tangy vinegar perfectly complement the saltiness of the cheese and olives in this dish.

Trust me, you’ll be tempted to stand in front of the fridge and sneak bites throughout the day!

The only thing more refreshing than this pasta salad with feta cheese is a watermelon cucumber salad instead.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

• Pasta – Rotini has plenty of nooks and crannies to hold all of the sauce, but penne, bowtie, or cavatappi are all great alternatives. Remember, you only need half the box!
  
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil – My top choice for dressings! Be sure to use a high-quality oil as the simplicity of this recipe means every flavor is important.
  
• Grape Tomatoes – These aren’t as sweet as cherry tomatoes, making them perfect to pair with all the salty flavors in this dish.
  
  They also mix into the feta pasta salad a bit easier since they’re the same shape as the olives.
  
• Kalamata Olives – Find these either in jars or in the deli section of the grocery store. They’ll need to be pitted and halved for this pasta salad tomato feta recipe.
  
• Feta Cheese – The star of the show, really. Grab a block and cut it into cubes rather than using the crumbled variety.
  
• Sundried Tomatoes – Find these packed in oil near the olives. Drain them really well and chop into smaller pieces as needed. You’ll need some for the homemade dressing as well.
  
• Dressing – Combine sundried tomatoes with more olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, freshly grated parmesan, plenty of fresh parsley, and salt and pepper.
  
  To save time, you can toss the top of the parsley bunch in one rip — the thinner stems will get blended in the food processor anyway.

Tips and Tricks for Making This Pasta Salad with Feta Recipe

• Always salt your pasta water!

Don’t worry — it doesn’t make your pasta taste salty. Rather, it adds flavor and prevents the noodles from sticking together or having a gummy texture.

• Halve tomatoes and olives in seconds.

There’s a quick way to cut tomatoes and olives in half, and you’ll never do it another way again!

Simply place them between two lids and run a sharp knife right through the middle.

• Need to feed a crowd?

Easily double this recipe for pasta salad with feta cheese if needed, just be sure your mixing bowl is large enough!

If not, carefully divide the ingredients and sauce between two containers so everything is evenly distributed.

Prep Ahead

• Dice cheese
• Pit olives, halve with grape tomatoes
• Drain and chop sundried tomatoes
• Make the dressing
• Bring pot of water to boil

Kitchen Tools You Will Need

• Large Pot and Strainer for the noodles
• Food Processor – Makes quick work of the dressing ingredients for the smoothest consistency.
• Salad Bowl – The bigger, the better so you have plenty of room to mix everything together.

Serving Suggestions

This pasta salad with feta recipe is certainly filling enough on its own, but it’s also great as a side dish with lamb, steak, or pork chops.

You could even chop up some chicken breasts and toss them in this tomato feta pasta salad to round out the dish.

Don’t forget some focaccia or your favorite crusty bread for soaking up that delicious dressing!

Pasta Salad Tomato Feta FAQ

Storing Leftover Feta Pasta Salad

Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap or transfer leftover tomato feta pasta salad to an airtight container.

It will keep in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days, though it may start to dry out over time.

I like to make a little extra dressing, keep it in a jar in the fridge, and use it to refresh leftovers as needed.

Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.

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Pasta Salad with Feta Cheese and Tomatoes + Video

Donna Elick

Pasta Salad with Feta Cheese is a summertime version of the viral Tik Tok recipe! Loaded with olives and tomatoes, it's a great potluck side.

5 stars from 2 reviews

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Tried this recipe?Please comment and review!

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 12 minutes mins

Total Time 22 minutes mins

Course Salad

Cuisine Greek

Method Stovetop

Servings 6 – 8

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1/2 pound rotini pasta
• ▢ kosher salt
• ▢ extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ 1 pound grape tomatoes, halved
• ▢ 3/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved
• ▢ 1 pound feta cheese, medium-diced
• ▢ 6 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped

For the dressing

• ▢ 5 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained
• ▢ 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• ▢ 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ 1 clove garlic, diced
• ▢ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ▢ 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• ▢ 1 cup packed flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Instructions

 

• Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water. Boil for 12 minutes, or according to the directions on the package. Drain well and allow to cool. Place the pasta in a bowl and add the tomatoes, olives, feta and chopped sun-dried tomatoes.
• For the dressing, combine the sun-dried tomatoes, vinegar, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper in a food processor until almost smooth.
• Pour the dressing over the pasta, sprinkle with the Parmesan and parsley, and toss well.
• Serve immediately or cover with plastic wrap, refrigerate and serve later.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 590cal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 1831mg | Sugar: 3g | Fiber: 3g | Calcium: 563mg | Iron: 2mg

All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Originally published August 2011, updated and republished July 2024

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