Creamy Greek Pasta Salad

ByMadison Thurman
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My go-to salad of all time is always a Greek salad. If I see that on the menu at a restaurant, I almost have no choice but to order it. Check out My Favorite Greek Salad here! My husband loves pasta salad, and I had the thought, what if we merge those two together, and make a Greek salad style pasta salad? Adding the greek yogurt adds sooooo much creaminess and it is seriously delicious.

This makes a big portion, so it is great to make at the beginning of the week and eat for lunches. I usually add a drizzle of avocado oil on top of each serving the next day to bring it back to life a bit.

This recipe is so versatile that you can add or omit the toppings you don’t like! I swear greek salads made me love olives. I am a very adventurous eater, but I always stood by the fact that I HATED olives. I thought people that liked them were crazy! What do you mean you like small black salty weird little chewy olives? Now I get it guys I get it. When I started making greek salads at home, I was cooking and found myself popping an olive in my mouth…then 2 olives….then 3! I must be maturing in my ripe old age of 27, and I have officially acquired the taste for olives!

The other must have in the pasta salad, is the feta cheese. Anything with crumbled feta on top is the way to my heart. I love to buy the whole block of feta that is marinating in brine – check this one out. It is extra creamy!

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Why You Will Love This Pasta Salad

  • Meal Prep. Make one mess cooking, then reap the benefits all week long!
  • Switch up the protein. Feel free to skip the chicken all together, or make it vegetarian and add tofu.
  • Customizable. Use the toppings you love!
  • Great for a crowd. Bring this to your next event!
Pasta salad bowl topped with cherry tomatoes, cucumber, black olives, red onion, feta cheese, and grilled chicken thighs.

How to Make This Creamy Greek Pasta Salad

Please see recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full recipe details.

  1. Prep the chicken – Season the chicken with the marinade ingredients, and bake. Bake at 375°F for 25 minutes, until internal temperature is 165°F. You can also grill the chicken and it would work great!
  2. Boil the pasta – While the chicken is cooking, boil pasta noodles per the box directions. Drain and set aside to cool.
  3. Make the dressing – In a bowl, add the greek yogurt and mayo. Mix well, then add all other dressing ingredients. Whisk well until fully smooth. Taste and adjust any seasonings to your preference!
  4. Prep the toppings – Chop all of your veggies, crumble your feta! If chicken is done, cut this into bite sized pieces.
  5. Assemble – Add the cooked pasta and chicken to a large bowl, mix. Slowly pour over that delicious dressing and mix everything well. You can add all of the toppings in and mix now, or feel free to keep the vegetables separated and top them with each bowl individually. Enjoy!
  • Sliced red onions, cherry tomatoes, avocado and cucumber on a wooden cutting board. Also black olives and banana peppers in a small wooden bowl.
  • Greek pasta salad topped with grilled chicken, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and cucumbers. Small blue bowl for decoration.

Pasta Salad Tips

Bring me back to life! The next day, add a drizzle of olive oil or avocado oil. This helps bring the dressing back to life.

Take it to the next level. Avocado sliced on top is dreamy.

Leftovers? Lunch time! I ate this for several days after and it was delicious every time!

Orzo! Orzo is all the rage right now, try it out instead of the bow tie pasta!

Recipe FAQs

Yes! Just make note that the dressing is creamiest the day of making. If you are making this for an event/party I would recommend waiting to add the dressing until right before serving.

If you don’t like feta….never mind I won’t judge. If you don’t like feta, feel free to swap this with goat cheese, or any other cheese you love!

Yes! Use gluten free pasta, and feel free to skip the chicken. Chickpeas would be a great substitution if you wanted added protein.

Recipe Variations

  • Minimal effort. A simple spice blend + high-heat roasting = crispy, crave-worthy tofu.
  • Easy meal prep. Make the tofu in advance and warm it up when you’re ready to serve.
  • Totally customizable. Use whatever toppings you love or have on hand.
  • Meatless, dairy-free, and protein-packed. Healthy, but not boring? Always the goal.

What to serve with this pasta salad:

A full bowl of this pasta salad is a meal on it’s own, but no one will complain if you serve this with a side of warm pita bread!

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Greek pasta salad topped with grilled chicken, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and cucumbers. Small blue bowl for decoration.

Creamy Greek Pasta Salad

Think greek salad, fuse it with pasta salad, and boom! This recipe is so creamy and delicious. Perfect for a spring/summer event. The crunchy vegetables mixed with the creamy pasta is to die for!
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course: Dinner, Salad
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1.5-2 lbs chicken thighs
  • 1 lb short cut pasta I used bowtie
Chicken Marinade
  • 1 tbsp avocado oil
  • ½ lemon, juiced
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp lemon pepper
  • 1 tsp italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp salt
  • dash of cayenne pepper optional
  • dash of red pepper flakes optional
Creamy Greek Dressing
  • 1 cup greek yogurt
  • ¼ cup mayonnaise
  • 2-3 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • ¼ cup avocado oil
  • juice half a lemon
  • 1 tbsp dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp dried dill or 1 tbsp fresh dill
  • 1 tsp salt
  • dash of cayenne optional
Toppings
  • 1 package cherry tomatoes
  • 1 cup banana peppers chopped
  • ¾ cup black olives sliced
  • 1 block feta cheese crumbled
  • 1 cucumber sliced
  • ½ red onion sliced

Method
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 375℉. Place the chicken in a roasting pan, and season with the chicken marinade ingredients. If you have time, let this marinate in the fridge for a few hours. Bake the chicken for 25-30 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 165℉.
  2. While the chicken is baking, get a large pot of water boiling for the pasta. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. When the pasta is finished, drain and set aside to cool while we prep everything else. Drizzle some avocado oil on the pasta to prevent from sticking while it cools!
  3. Next, prep the dressing. In a large bowl, mix together the greek yogurt and the mayonnaise until combined. Next add the red wine vinegar, avocado oil, and lemon juice. Whisk well. Add the dijon mustard, honey, oregano, dill, salt, and dash of cayenne if using. Whisk well until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking!
  4. Once the chicken is done, and the pasta has cooled a bit, mix these two together in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle over the dressing and mix well until every piece of pasta is coated. The next part is up to you, you can add all of the prepped toppings in now and mix together, or you can keep it as is, and add toppings individually on each serving. This is a great option if not everyone in your family likes every topping! Crumble with feta and enjoy!

Notes

**If you are eating the next day, drizzle with avocado oil to bring the dressing back to life!

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