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Greek Tzatziki Pasta Salad

Greek tzatziki pasta salad with creamy Greek yogurt dressing, chilled for bold cucumber flavor. Penne or rotini is coated in tzatziki, then folded with feta, tomatoes, red onion, and fresh dill for a cool Mediterranean side.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Greek
Calories: 610
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Penne or rotini pasta
  • 1 lb penne or rotini pasta
Greek yogurt
  • 1 cup Greek yogurt
Sour cream
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
Cucumber
  • 1 cucumber divided; grate half and dice the rest
Garlic
  • 2 garlic minced
Lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
Fresh dill
  • 2 tbsp fresh dill chopped
Cherry tomatoes
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
Red onion
  • 0.5 cup red onion diced
Kalamata olives
  • 0.5 cup Kalamata olives sliced
Feta cheese
  • 4 oz feta cheese crumbled
Salt
  • 0.25 tsp salt to taste
Black pepper
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper to taste

Method
 

Cook and rinse the pasta
  1. Cook the penne or rotini pasta according to package directions until al dente, then drain. Visual cue: steam stops rising from the colander and the pasta looks firm but tender.
  2. Rinse the drained pasta with cold water to stop the cooking. Visual cue: pasta turns cool and glossy rather than sticky-warm.
Make tzatziki sauce
  1. Grate half the cucumber and squeeze out excess moisture, then set the drained cucumber aside. Visual cue: the grated cucumber clumps when squeezed and no longer drips.
  2. Mix the Greek yogurt, sour cream, minced garlic, lemon juice, chopped dill, salt, and black pepper in a bowl until smooth. Visual cue: the mixture looks creamy with visible flecks of dill.
  3. Stir the squeezed grated cucumber into the tzatziki. Visual cue: cucumber shreds are evenly distributed through the creamy dressing.
Assemble the pasta salad
  1. In a large bowl, combine the cooled pasta with the remaining diced cucumber, halved cherry tomatoes, diced red onion, and sliced Kalamata olives. Visual cue: colors look bright and evenly spread.
  2. Add the tzatziki sauce and toss until the pasta is coated. Visual cue: every piece of pasta appears lightly covered in creamy white dressing.
  3. Gently fold in the crumbled feta cheese. Visual cue: feta forms soft, creamy crumbles without fully melting.
Chill and serve
  1. Refrigerate the pasta salad for at least 1 hour before serving. Visual cue: dressing thickens slightly and the cucumbers look more vibrant after chilling.

Notes

Pro tip: squeeze the grated cucumber well so the tzatziki stays creamy instead of watery. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; the pasta may absorb a bit of dressing, so stir before serving. Freezing isn’t recommended. For a dairy-light option, use plain nonfat Greek yogurt in place of Greek yogurt and skip the sour cream (or replace with additional yogurt) for a similar creamy texture.