Greek pasta salad is an absolute favorite in our household. Made with a creamy pesto-mayo dressing highlighting a medley of fresh ingredients, this Greek pasta salad with chicken is savory, satisfying and so delicious! This week has been ultra busy, and in California the weather has been hot as a furnace. It’s times like these when I turn to quick and easy recipes like cool and refreshing pasta salads.
Lately I’ve been drawn to unique artisan noodle in various shapes. Pasta that has real character. You can use bow-tie pasta, penne pasta, shells, or whatever type of pasta you have in your pantry. But for today’s Greek pasta salad recipe I used Trottole. I think you’ll agree, these cute spiral noodles look so darn festive. I encourage you to switch things up and have some fun! What type of noodles would you like to see in your Greek pasta salad?
These are all the ingredients you’ll need to create a scrumptious Greek pasta salad filled with beautiful flavor. I guarantee this will become one of your favorite go-to pasta salad recipes! Your family will be asking for more and your friends will want this tasty Greek pasta salad recipe!
Because I’ll take a short-cut when I need it, I bought a rotisserie chicken at Costco and cubed up the breast section. And because I’m weak when it comes to Diesel Dog looking up at me with his sweet doggie eyes, I reserved the leg and thigh meat for him. He really appreciated that!
I really enjoy making pesto from scratch, but today I was short on time. For this Greek pasta salad recipe I used store-bought pesto which is just as fabulous. The deli container was .75 lbs and yielded 1 and 1/4 cups pesto. To make the pesto-mayo dressing mix the pesto with one cup mayonnaise. It’s literally the perfect dressing consistency. Yum!
Cook your noodles according to the package directions. When boiling noodles for Greek pasta salad I cook them al dente so they’re not limp. I like the noodles to have a gentle firmness. As soon as the noodles are done boiling, drain off the hot water. Rinse the noodles under cold running water to cool them all the way off. With a wooden spoon or spatula fold the pasta into the other ingredients: Kalamata olives, grape tomatoes, red onion, chicken, marinated artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, pesto-mayo dressing and Feta cheese.
Garnish with a few extra sprinkles of Feta cheese on top. Your scrumptious Greek pasta salad is now ready to serve! Greek pasta salad is also a perfect make-ahead dish that you can refrigerate and serve within the next five days. I store mine in a gallon-sized Ziplock baggie. In my opinion, pasta salads taste even better the following day once the dressing has had a chance to really soak into the noodles.
How to Make Greek Pasta Salad > Shop This Post
I absolutely love my glass mixing bowls. I find myself using them for so many recipes. The largest bowl is perfect for serving your Greek pasta salad. I bought my glass bowls at Crate and Barrel, but you can buy a similar set through Amazon. The two green colanders shown here are exactly what I use when I drain my pasta. I love beautiful, colorful kitchen tools – so these really fit my style.
Greek Pasta Salad
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 Servings 1x
Description
Greek pasta salad is an absolute favorite in our household. Made with a creamy pesto-mayo dressing highlighting a medley of fresh ingredients, this Greek pasta salad with chicken is savory, satisfying and so delicious!
Ingredients
- 1 pound Trottole pasta, cooked al dente
- 2 + 1/2 cups chicken breast, cooked and cubed
- 1 + 1/4 cup pesto, homemade or store bought
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 3/4 cup Kalamata olives
- 1 + 1/2 cups grape tomatoes, sliced in half
- 1/2 cup red onion, diced
- 3/4 cup marinated artichoke hearts, sliced or chopped
- 1 + 1/2 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes, finely diced
- 3/4 cup Feta cheese plus more for sprinkling
Instructions
- In a large pot, boil the pasta in salted water according to package directions. Drain off hot water and rinse the pasta under cold running water until all the noodles have been cooled off.
- In a small bowl, create the pesto-mayo dressing by mixing the pesto and mayonnaise together.
- In a large salad bowl, fold the pasta, pesto-mayo and the rest of the ingredients together until well combined. Every noodle should be covered in pesto-mayo.
- Garnish your Greek pasta salad by sprinkling a little extra Feta cheese on top.
- Serve and enjoy! Your Greek pasta salad can be refrigerated for up to five days.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Snack, Dinner
- Method: By hand
- Cuisine: Greek, Italian, American
Keywords: Greek pasta salad, Greek pasta salad recipe, cold pasta salad
Here’s a closer look at this yummy Greek pasta salad. I wish you could reach right through your screen with a fork and have a taste! I made one batch for my husband’s work where they were celebrating a co-worker’s retirement. And I made a second batch for us to enjoy for dinner.
This is a photo of the Greek pasta salad with just half the Feta cheese and half the pesto-mayo dressing mixed in. I put in the full amount right after taking this photo, but I thought I’d share an image of what it looks like if you’re making a “slimmer” version of this pasta salad. It’s still super yummy! This Greek pasta salad is perfect for backyard BBQs, picnics, potlucks and luncheons. Just double or triple this recipe to serve a crowd!
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How to Make Greek Pasta Salad > Your Thoughts
Do you have a favorite Greek pasta salad recipe? What types of food do you enjoy serving during the hot summer months? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!
My husband can’t stop raving about this pasta salad.
★★★★★
Thanks for sharing the recipe. This looks so yum!
Your pictures are spot on. I love this food, Just hearing about the Greek pasta salad for the first time and I love the sound and look of it. Hope to try it out sometime.
Oh my gosh you’re making me so hungry with your Greek Pasta Salad. I’ve never had this dish before but I’d like to make it minus mayo (could I use sour cream instead?). I’m fixing to go check out your Mac n cheese recipe too.
I haven’t tried Greek food yet, and your pasta looks delicious! What’s the secret of Greek food ingredient?
This greek pasta salad looks delicious. It is so simple to make and so yummy. Thanks for sharing.
The salad looks absolutely amazing. It’s making me hungry lol And I have all the ingredients to make this!!! Thank you for the recipe
Oh my goodness! This looks so fresh and delicious! And it also does seem to be very easy to make. Perfect for a picnic or just for a quick lunch for work!
Oh my word this looks amazingly good my mouth is watering!
Yum! Now I know what I’ll be preparing for dinner later! Looks easy yummy and healthy!
Yay! I’m so happy to know you’ll soon be enjoying the delicious flavors of this Greek pasta salad. Thank you so much Patricia for stopping by for this recipe and leaving a comment. Have a wonderful week!
I haven’t tried Greek food yet, and your pasta looks delicious! What’s the secret of Greek food ingredient?
Oh boy that looks delicious. It made my mouth water just thinking about it!
Hi Angela. This Greek pasta salad is indeed mouth-watering delicious! I can hardly wait for you to whip up a batch and have a taste.
I love greek food so I had to pin this. All this food looks amazing.
Oyinkan, thank you so much for pinning this Greek pasta salad recipe to Pinterest. I appreciate it more than words can say. :-)
YUmmm! That pasta salad has been plucked from my wildest dreams. it looks so spectacular!
Sharon, your sweet comment has literally made my day! Thank you so much for taking the time to share your thoughts. I can hardly wait for you to try this Greek pasta salad recipe. So yummy. :-)
This looks so delicious. I’ve always been a fan of pasta salads. I love artichoke hearts so much.
Artichokes help make this Greek pasta salad super scrumptious! Amber, I hope you try this Greek pasta salad sometime this month. Have a wonderful week!
No wonder it is a favourite in your household. I absolutely love Greek pasta salad and it is so perfect for the upcoming summer months as well x
Summer and cool, refreshing pasta salads go hand in hand. Ana, I hope you enjoy this Greek pasta salad recipe this season.
Your Greek pasta salad looks and sounds absolutely amazing! I never would have thought to put artichokes in a pasta salad. Yummers!
Heather, artichokes alongside sun-dried tomatoes give this Greek pasta salad a beautiful burst of flavor! Thanks so much for stopping by this evening for a visit here at Confetti and Bliss. I really appreciate it. :-)
Yum! These are all my favorite foods and Greek salads are my favorite! Saving this recipe and I can’t wait to try it.
Helene, your sweet comment make me smile! Thanks so much for saving this Greek pasta salad recipe. You’re going to love it!
Me, too Helene. Isn;t this just the yummiest?? I am pinning for my family. Can;t wait to my next family reunion!!
Oh yum this sounds like it would be absolutely delicious, I am all for a good pasta salad in the summer, and I am definitely going to have to give this one a try.
Thanks Sarah! It makes my day to know you’ll soon be trying one of my favorite recipes for Greek pasta salad.
Thanks for the great recipe! This is one of my favorites at home. I’ll have to try your recipe for a new twist on what I do already!
You’re so welcome, Carolyn. I’m happy to know you’ll soon be enjoying this Greek pasta salad recipe with all it’s fresh, creamy goodness. :-)
There’s really something about summer and pasta salads! And this looks amazing. Perfect addition to any BBQ.
Thank you Jolina for your sweet comment. I agree this Greek pasta salad is a perfect BBQ side dish. I’m actually quadrupling the recipe this Thursday for a backyard BBQ for 40 here at my home for my husbands co-workers and their families.
My go to noodle is garden variety rigatoni as of late! And the colors in the salad are incredible! I love pesto mayo too. Looks like I will be adding this to my list of must trys!
Marlene, rigatoni would be perfect for this Greek pasta salad! Thank you so much for stopping by to visit my blog and leave a comment. Many good wishes for a wonderful week!
This looks so good and delicious, need to return pasta salad to my weekly menu.
Hi Joan! I’m so happy to hear that this Greek pasta salad might be featured on your weekly menu sometime soon. :-)
Now this is a flavorful pasta salad! Looks so yummy!
Thank you, Cara. This Greek pasta salad really is just as scrumptious as it looks!
This looks soooo good! Just came back from work and I am starving! Now I know what i’ll have for dinner!
Corine & Kirsty, I have a sneaky feeling this Greek pasta salad will become one of your all-time favorite salads! Enjoy. :-)
I love all the flavors in this, and it looks so easy and tasty!
Thanks Leah! It is indeed super easy to make. I hope you try this Greek pasta salad recipe sometime soon. :-)
I’m going to have to make this! It looks so yummy!
Woo-hoo! Elizabeth, I’m so happy to hear you’ll soon be enjoying forkfuls of this Greek pasta salad goodness. :-)
I make something like this all the time. I have found that the Irish in me is hiding a Greek somewhere because I love this blend of flavors.
Good morning, Mary. Thanks so much for stopping by for this Greek pasta salad recipe and leaving a comment. I really appreciate it!
MM that greek salad looks delicious!! It looks pretty easy to make too! Love those kinda recipes!
Thank you, Julie! I know you’re going to enjoy this quick easy recipe for Greek pasta salad with chicken.