Fast & Fresh Summer Pasta Salad
gluten free | bring to a party
This summer pasta salad is everything you want on a warm day—fresh, fast, and completely delicious. It’s the perfect mix of tender pasta, salty olives, creamy feta, crisp cucumbers, and juicy cherry tomatoes. Plus, the no-mayo pasta salad dressing keeps it light, tangy, and refreshing.
A Tangy No-Mayo Dressing
The dressing makes this recipe special. It’s bright and bold thanks to shallots and red wine vinegar. Since there’s no mayonnaise, the salad feels lighter. And trust me—you won’t miss it. The pasta soaks up the dressing as it chills, making every bite full of flavor.
Double the Dressing (You’ll Want To)
For even more tang, double the dressing. Then, right before serving, drizzle extra over the chilled pasta salad. It instantly wakes everything up.
Add in more.
Perfect for Parties
This easy pasta salad makes a huge batch—enough to feed at least 15 people as a side dish. It’s ideal for backyard parties, potlucks, cookouts, and gatherings with adults and kids. However, you can easily halve the recipe if you’re not feeding the entire neighborhood.
Fresh, Simple, and Always a Hit
The combination of Mediterranean flavors—feta, olives, herbs, and veggies—keeps the salad vibrant and satisfying. It travels well, tastes even better after resting, and disappears quickly at every event.
Add in more
Here is a list of other vegetables and herbs, you could add to take it to another level.
- sun dried tomatoes
- roasted red peppers
- scallions
- celery
- salami
- banana peppers
More and more salad recipes.
Pro Tip: Cook the pasta just to al dente. Overcooking makes the noodles break down as they absorb the dressing.
If you loved this Fast & Fresh Summer Pasta Salad, follow along on Instagram @whitesparrowfoodco for more bright, seasonal, gluten-free recipes!
Fast & Fresh Summer Pasta Salad
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 16 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
A fresh, fast summer pasta salad with olives, feta, tomatoes, and a tangy no-mayo dressing. Perfect for parties, picnics, or easy weeknight meals. This makes enough for your whole neighborhood – share it with everyone. It tastes even better the next day!
Ingredients
- 1 box of gluten free pasta
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 heaping tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- 1/2 teaspoon both salt and pepper
- 1 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
- 1 large or 5 mini cucumbers, sliced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half (assorted colors is best)
- 3/4 cup olives (assorted colors is best)
- 1 cup feta cheese, cubed or crumbled
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the package instructions – decrease the time by 1 minute. Best to have the pasta al dente with a bit of a bite. Drain and immediately spray cold water on the pasta and toss so the water touches all of it and cools it down. Drain and let sit.
- To make the dressing, combine the olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, shallots, lemon zest and juice, salt, pepper, and parsley in a large bowl (I used the bowl that I was going to serve the salad in). Whisk together.
- When the pasta is cooled, pour it into the bowl with the dressing. Top with the cucumbers, tomatoes, olive and feta cheese. Toss with tongs to fully coat everything. Make sure to dig deep and bring the ingredients at the bottom of the bowl to the top.
- Chill in your refrigerator until serving or serve right away.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 10
- Category: salad
- Method: stove-top
- Cuisine: salad
Did you make this recipe? Take a picture and tag me @whitesparrowfoodco or #whitesparrowfoodco I’d love to hear what you thought of the recipe!
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