Go Back

Greek Tzatziki Pasta Salad

Greek tzatziki pasta salad with cool, garlicky yogurt dressing, crisp cucumber half-moons, and feta crumbles tossed through al dente penne or rotini. This Mediterranean pasta salad is creamy, herby, and chilled for a tangy, refreshing bite.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Greek-American
Calories: 430
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pasta salad
  • 12 oz penne or rotini pasta
  • 1 count English cucumber halved and sliced
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
  • 1 cup kalamata olives halved
  • 4 oz feta cheese crumbled
  • 0.5 count red onion thinly sliced
  • 0.25 cup fresh dill chopped
For tzatziki dressing
  • 1 cup Greek yogurt full fat
  • 1 count cucumber small; grated and squeezed dry
  • 2 clove garlic minced
  • 2 tbsp fresh dill
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 0.5 tsp salt

Method
 

Cook and cool the pasta
  1. Cook the penne or rotini pasta to al dente, then drain and rinse it with cold water to stop cooking. Cool completely before assembling.
Make tzatziki dressing
  1. Stir Greek yogurt, grated squeezed cucumber, minced garlic, fresh dill, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt together until smooth and creamy. Refrigerate the dressing for 30 minutes.
Assemble and chill
  1. Combine the cooled pasta with English cucumber, cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, feta cheese, and red onion. Toss gently until everything is evenly distributed.
  2. Pour the tzatziki dressing over the pasta and toss to coat so the noodles look creamy and glossy. Fold in fresh dill.
  3. Refrigerate the pasta salad for 30 minutes before serving so the flavors meld and the dressing firms slightly around the pasta.

Notes

Pro tip: squeeze the grated cucumber very dry before mixing it into the Greek yogurt to keep the pasta salad from turning watery. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days; it’s not recommended to freeze because the yogurt dressing can break. For a lighter option, use low-fat Greek yogurt and reduce the olive oil to 2 teaspoons while keeping the rest the same.