Tzatziki Pasta Salad Mix (Printable View)

Creamy tzatziki-style pasta tossed with cucumber, dill, feta and olives for a refreshing summer dish.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 8.8 oz short pasta (fusilli or penne)

→ Tzatziki Dressing

02 - 7 oz Greek yogurt
03 - 1 medium cucumber, grated and squeezed dry
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
06 - 1 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped
07 - 1 tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped (optional)
08 - Juice of ½ lemon
09 - ½ tsp salt
10 - ¼ tsp black pepper

→ Salad Mix-ins

11 - 3.5 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
12 - 2.1 oz feta cheese, crumbled
13 - 1.4 oz red onion, finely diced
14 - 1.4 oz Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced

# How To Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the short pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain well and rinse under cold running water until completely cooled. Set aside.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the Greek yogurt, grated and squeezed cucumber, minced garlic, olive oil, chopped dill, mint (if using), lemon juice, salt, and black pepper. Whisk until smooth and well blended.
03 - Add the cooled pasta to the bowl with the tzatziki dressing. Toss thoroughly to ensure every piece is evenly coated.
04 - Gently fold in the halved cherry tomatoes, crumbled feta cheese, diced red onion, and sliced Kalamata olives until uniformly distributed throughout the salad.
05 - Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld and develop.
06 - Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with additional fresh dill, mint leaves, or a light drizzle of olive oil as desired. Serve chilled.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The tzatziki dressing doubles as a dip so you are basically getting two recipes for the price of one.
  • It tastes better after sitting in the fridge overnight which means you can make it ahead and actually enjoy your own party.
  • Every single ingredient is available at any grocery store and most of them are probably in your kitchen right now.
02 -
  • If you skip squeezing the grated cucumber your dressing will weep water all over the bowl and dilute every flavor you built.
  • Rinsing the pasta is normally a sin but for cold salads it is essential because residual starch makes the noodles gummy and causes them to clump together.
03 -
  • Grate the cucumber on the large holes of a box grater then wrap it in a clean kitchen towel and twist hard until no more liquid comes out. This single step separates decent tzatziki from exceptional tzatziki.
  • Let the minced garlic sit in the lemon juice for five minutes before mixing it into the yogurt because the acid mellows the raw bite and creates a softer more rounded garlic flavor.

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