Vinaigrette Style Pasta Salad

Bright, refreshing, and bursting with Mediterranean flavors, this Vinaigrette Style Pasta Salad is the perfect side dish or light meal for any occasion. Packed with tender penne pasta, juicy cherry tomatoes, crisp cucumber, briny black olives, and tangy feta cheese, it's a colorful medley of textures and tastes. The star of this dish is the homemade vinaigrette, featuring extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic, and a hint of oregano for a zesty, aromatic touch. Ready in just 30 minutes (plus refrigeration time), this easy pasta salad is perfect for parties, picnics, or meal prep. Serve it chilled or at room temperature for a healthy, savory dish that’s as versatile as it is delicious. Keywords: pasta salad recipe, Mediterranean pasta salad, vinaigrette dressing, summer salad.

Nutriscore Rating: 71/100

Prep Time:20 mins

Cook Time:10 mins

Total Time:30 mins

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 300 grams Penne pasta
• 250 grams Cherry tomatoes
• 1 large Cucumber
• 1 medium Red onion
• 100 grams Black olives
• 150 grams Feta cheese
• 4 tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons Red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 clove Garlic
• 1 teaspoon Dried oregano
• 0.5 teaspoon Salt
• 0.25 teaspoon Black pepper

Directions

Step 1

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the penne pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process.

Step 2

While the pasta cooks, prepare the vegetables. Halve the cherry tomatoes, dice the cucumber, thinly slice the red onion, and roughly chop the black olives. Crumble the feta cheese and set everything aside.

Step 3

In a small bowl, prepare the vinaigrette. Whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper until fully emulsified.

Step 4

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled pasta, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, black olives, and feta cheese. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad.

Step 5

Toss the salad gently to evenly coat all the ingredients with the vinaigrette.

Step 6

Taste and adjust the seasoning with additional salt or pepper, if needed.

Step 7

Cover the bowl and refrigerate the salad for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors meld together.

Step 8

Serve chilled or at room temperature, garnished with a sprinkle of extra oregano or fresh herbs if desired.

Nutrition Facts

Serving size	(1432.1g)

Amount per serving	% Daily Value*
Calories	2245.7

Total Fat 106.7g	0%
Saturated Fat 30.5g	0%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.7g
Cholesterol 133.5mg	0%
Sodium 3769.5mg	0%
Total Carbohydrate 269.7g	0%
Dietary Fiber 20.1g	0%
Total Sugars 18.8g
Protein 66.2g	0%

Vitamin D 24IU	0%
Calcium 973.0mg	0%
Iron 20.8mg	0%
Potassium 2121.5mg	0%

*The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Source of Calories

Fat: 41.7%

Protein: 11.5%

Carbs: 46.8%