With BBQ season just around the corner all I can think about is all the BBQ parties I will be going to this year and bringing the perfect side dish. This pasta salad includes all the classic flavours you would see in a traditional Greek salad like cucumber, olives, red onions, feta cheese minus the lettuce and add the carbs. Because who doesn’t love carbs? This pasta salad is super easy to make and can be tweaked to make it vegan friendly, by skipping the feta cheese (or substituting it with your favourite vegan feta cheese).

This easy Greek pasta salad would pair fantastic with chicken souvlaki skewers or turkey burgers. The perfect side dish to have at your next BBQ. You can make it a couple hours ahead so the flavours mingle. Give a gentle toss just before serving and you got a dish you will be serving over and over again.

6 servings / 10 mins prep time / 2.5 hours total time

Ingredients

½ package (205 g) uncooked bowtie pasta

½ cucumber, chopped

¼ red onion, diced

½ red pepper, chopped

¼ cup Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped

½ pint cherry tomatoes, about 15, sliced in half

1/3 cup (67 g) feta cheese

Dressing

4 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp white wine vinegar

1 garlic clove, grated

1 tsp maple syrup

½ tsp dried oregano

¼ tsp salt

Directions

Start by making the dressing. In a jar or small container add the olive oil, white wine vinegar, grated garlic, maple syrup, dried oregano and salt. Secure the jar/container and give it a good shake. Set aside in the fridge.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Rinse under cold water to stop the pasta from cooking. Once pasta has cooled place into a large salad bowl.

While your pasta is cooking, chop the vegetables and add to the salad bowl.

Add the feta cheese along with the dressing to the salad bowl with pasta and vegetables. Mix until well combined. Place in fridge for a minimum 2 hours to allow flavours to mingle.

Enjoy!