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Greek Tzatziki Pasta Salad

Greek tzatziki pasta salad with creamy Greek yogurt dressing, cool cucumber, and juicy cherry tomatoes. Penne or rotini is tossed until coated, then chilled so the flavors meld for a fresh Mediterranean pasta salad.
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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: 560
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pasta salad
  • 1 lb penne or rotini pasta Cook and rinse with cold water to keep it from clumping.
  • 1 cup Greek yogurt Use plain Greek yogurt for the classic tzatziki tang.
  • 0.5 cup sour cream Adds creaminess and helps the sauce cling to pasta.
  • 1 cucumber Divide: dice some; grate the rest and squeeze out moisture.
  • 2 garlic Minced garlic for the tzatziki.
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice Freshly squeezed preferred.
  • 2 tbsp fresh dill Chopped; reserve a pinch for garnish if desired.
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes Halved.
  • 0.5 cup red onion Diced.
  • 0.5 cup Kalamata olives Sliced.
  • 4 oz feta cheese Crumbled; fold in gently to avoid breaking.
  • salt and pepper To taste.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Cook pasta
  1. Cook penne or rotini pasta according to package directions until al dente, then drain and rinse with cold water to cool quickly and stop carryover cooking.
Make tzatziki
  1. Grate half the cucumber and squeeze out excess moisture, then mix it with Greek yogurt, sour cream, garlic, lemon juice, fresh dill, salt, and pepper until smooth and creamy.
Assemble salad
  1. Combine pasta, remaining diced cucumber, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and Kalamata olives in a large bowl.
  2. Add tzatziki sauce and toss to coat all pasta pieces evenly.
  3. Gently fold in feta cheese so the crumbles stay intact and don’t fully disappear.
  4. Refrigerate the pasta salad for at least 1 hour to chill and let the flavors meld before serving.

Notes

For the creamiest tzatziki, squeeze the grated cucumber very well so the dressing stays thick instead of watery. Store covered in the refrigerator for 3 days; it also freezes poorly due to texture changes in the yogurt. For a lighter option, use 0% Greek yogurt and skip the sour cream or replace it with additional Greek yogurt.