This is our favorite potluck pasta salad with feta, green peppers, and tomatoes. It's the perfect dish for sharing at gatherings.
Pretty bow-tie noodles, feta, and fresh vegetables like tomatoes, green peppers, and cucumbers - Greek-style salad makes the perfect potluck pasta salad recipe. The post includes tips on how to transport a potluck salad.
One of the best things when being invited to a grill party (or inviting people to our grill parties) is the salads.
I do eat a steak or a bratwurst, but the things I enjoy the most are the salads. Swabian potato salad, German noodle salad, salad "torte", tortellini salad... potluck salads that are always a part of a good party and which always taste great.
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Recipe ingredients
- Pasta: I love to use bow-tie pasta because it looks pretty, but otherwise, please use any kind of short pasta you have or like.
- Peppers: I found out recently that real Greek salads usually have green peppers. But, you know what? You can use any color pepper you want.
- Other vegetables: Ripe tomatoes (two medium or a good handful of cherry tomatoes), cucumber, and red onion.
- Black olives: Use the best quality you can afford; it really makes a difference. Olives with their pit still inside taste so much better than unpitted. However, in this case, remove the pits before adding the olives to the salad.
- Feta: Preferably feta in brine, either Greek or Bulgarian (Eastern-European-style). This Watermelon Feta Balsamic Salad is also a good one for potlucks.
- Olive oil: Make sure you use a good brand, one that is milder and really tastes good.
How to make pasta salad for a potluck?
Cook and drain the pasta.
Prepare vegetables: Chop the tomatoes and the cucumber.
Pit and chop the olives.
Mix all the dressing ingredients except for the oil. Slowly add the olive oil while whisking
Combine pasta with the dressing. Add the vegetables and mix.
Crumble the feta on top of the salad and mix gently again.
- Refrigerate: Cover the salad and refrigerate until ready to serve. Adjust the taste and add fresh herbs or arugula before leaving the house.
Make the salad at least 2-3 hours in advance, so that the flavors have time to mingle and the salad has enough time to chill. Stir the salad before serving it and adjust the taste again, if necessary, with more vinegar, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
How to transport a potluck salad?
- Container: Use a sturdy, airtight container with a secure lid to prevent spills.
- Use a cooler or insulated bag: Place the container inside a cooler or insulated bag with ice packs to keep the salad cool, especially when the weather is hot and you have to drive for more than 10 minutes.
- Dressing: If possible, keep the dressing separate and add it to the salad just before serving. This prevents the pasta from getting too soggy during transportation; it's more likely to happen if the salad contains fresh lettuce leaves. However, you can dress today's potluck pasta salad 2-3 hours before serving; it needs a bit of time to develop the flavors.
- Bring serving utensils: People always seem to forget that, and I only have 3 salad spoons...
- Label your bowl with your name. I often have to send WhatsApp pics to ask people if one particular bowl belongs to them.
Potluck Pasta Salad - Greek-Style
Ingredients
Pasta Salad:
- 9 oz bow tie pasta or other short pasta
- 2 medium ripe tomatoes or the equivalent amount of cherry tomatoes
- ½ cucumber
- 1 medium red onion
- 1 large green bell pepper
- 15-20 black olives
- 1 cup feta crumbled, Note 1
- fresh herbs or arugula (oregano, thyme, or basil) optional
Pasta salad dressing:
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar more to taste
- 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice to taste
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil Note 2
- fine sea salt and pepper
Instructions
- Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt generously and the pasta. Cook the pasta according to the packet's instructions. Drain well.9 oz bow tie pasta
- Prepare vegetables: In the meantime, halve the tomatoes and cut them into thin slices; halve the cucumber and the red onion and slice them thinly as well. Quarter the green bell pepper and slice the quarters thinly. Pit the olives, if necessary, and slice them.2 medium ripe tomatoes + ½ cucumber + 1 medium red onion + 1 large green bell pepper + 15-20 black olives
- Dressing: Mix red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, grated garlic cloves, and dried oregano. Slowly add the olive oil while whisking until the dressing emulsifies slightly. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Add more vinegar and/ or lemon juice if you feel it's necessary.3 tablespoons red wine vinegar + 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice + 2 garlic cloves + 2 teaspoons dried oregano + ½ cup extra virgin olive oil + fine sea salt and pepper
- Combine the drained pasta with the dressing. Add the vegetables and mix carefully. Crumble the feta on top of the salad and mix gently again.1 cup feta
- Refrigerate: Cover the salad and refrigerate until ready to serve; the salad should be made a few hours in advance so that the flavors have time to mingle. Add chopped fresh herbs just before leaving the house or before serving (optional).
Notes
- Feta in brine, not pre-crumbled feta.
- Know your olive oil, and make sure you use a sort that is appropriate for making salad dressings. If your olive oil is not of good quality or has too strong a taste, it will ruin the salad. Choose a good quality, mild sort of extra virgin olive oil, and if you are not familiar with the brand, always taste it before you add it to the salad.
Evi says
Love this salad! Perfect for summer and for picnics 🙂
Priya @priyascurrynation says
Super duper yummm... 🙂
Sissi says
Lovely refreshing salad! I also love salads as meals and probably have hundreds of versions.... Like you, I also change them all the time!
Karly says
Pasta salads are so versatile! This one sounds delicious!
Angie@Angie's Recipes says
Looks delightful and very appetizing!