Make this easy Greek Pasta Salad Recipe ahead of time and eat for dinner with leftovers for lunch the next day!
About two months ago, a friend invited me to join her on a weight loss/fitness challenge. Â I needed something to motivate me to get back into shape so I jumped in. Â I usually am more of a planner but I didn’t think this one through. Â After about a week, I knew I couldn’t keep it up. Â It was too much too soon and from one extreme to the other (eating horribly, no exercise to crazy strict diet and hard core classes). Â I was in tears.
But I didn’t want to go back to living off chili cheese fries and soda. Â I had the jump start that I needed to get back on track, even if it was a very expensive one. Â Since I started the challenge, I’ve lost 20 lbs and a couple pant sizes. Â I’m feeling good. Â The key for me was finding some balance and not torturing myself. Â I want to eat this way long term so I needed to do things that I wouldn’t hate. Â I’ve spent the last couple months counting calories on My Fitness Pal and searching for good recipes that my family will eat but are healthier. Â I’ve also learned more about portion control.
This Greek Pasta Salad was one of the recipes that I served my family. Â It wasn’t tough to put together and makes a lot. Â Some people might balk at it because it is pasta and pasta is carbs. Â But as long as I’m not eating it every day and I have a small portion, it’s all good. Â For some reason I’ve really loved Greek and Mexican inspired meals since I changed my focus. Â Yum!
I love that I made my own dressing and that it was tasty.
The vegetables looked so pretty and colorful all chopped up.Â
I added the veggies to the pasta and was ready to dress it.
Greek Pasta Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ½ c penne pasta uncooked
- ½ c red onions sliced
- 15 grape tomatoes cut in half
- 1 c cucumbers diced
- 2.2 oz sliced olives
- 1 c green peppers diced
- 1 c feta cheese crumbled
For the dressing:
- â…“ c red wine vinegar
- 2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 ½ tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- ½ c extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to directions.
- Drain and set aside.
- For the dressing - in a bowl, whisk together all ingredients except for the olive oil.
- Drizzle olive oil into the first ingredients and whisk.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the vegetables and feta cheese to the bowl of pasta.
- Pour the dressing over the pasta and toss.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 hours or more.
Nutrition
Recipe slightly adapted from Just a Taste
While I love sharing ooey gooey desserts and main dishes, I have a bunch of healthy recipes too. Â Check them out: