Mediterranean pasta salad with chickpeas (Printable)

A refreshing blend of pasta, chickpeas, feta, and crisp vegetables in a zesty olive dressing.

# Ingredient list:

→ Pasta

01 - 9 oz short pasta (penne, fusilli, or farfalle)

→ Beans & Cheese

02 - 14 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
03 - 4 oz feta cheese, crumbled

→ Vegetables

04 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
05 - 1 cucumber, diced
06 - 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
07 - 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
08 - 1/4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
09 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

→ Dressing

10 - 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
11 - 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
12 - 1 tsp dried oregano
13 - 1 small garlic clove, minced
14 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

# How to Make It:

01 - Boil salted water in a large pot. Add pasta and cook until al dente according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water until cooled.
02 - In a large bowl, mix cooled pasta, chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, bell pepper, olives, and parsley.
03 - In a small bowl or jar, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, minced garlic, salt, and pepper until emulsified.
04 - Pour the dressing over the salad mixture and toss gently to coat evenly.
05 - Sprinkle crumbled feta over the salad and toss lightly to combine without breaking up the cheese.
06 - Adjust seasoning to taste. Refrigerate for 15 minutes prior to serving to enhance flavor integration.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It gets better as it sits, so you can make it ahead and actually enjoy your evening instead of scrambling before guests arrive.
  • Theres no mayo to worry about in the heat, which means it travels well to picnics, beach days, or desk lunches without turning into a science experiment.
  • The chickpeas make it filling enough to be an actual meal, not just a side dish you eat three servings of and still feel hungry.
  • You can swap or add whatever vegetables you have on hand and it still works, no need to run to the store for one missing ingredient.
02 -
  • Rinse the pasta in cold water after draining or it keeps cooking and turns mushy, plus it cools it down fast so you can assemble everything without waiting around.
  • Add the feta last and fold it in gently, if you toss it too hard it crumbles into dust and disappears into the dressing instead of staying in satisfying chunks.
  • Taste the salad after it has been in the fridge, cold mutes salt and acid so you will almost always need to adjust the seasoning right before serving or it will taste bland.
03 -
  • Use a block of feta packed in brine instead of pre-crumbled, it tastes sharper and creamier and doesnt have that strange dry coating that gets chalky in the salad.
  • Toss the dressing with the pasta while its still slightly warm if you want it to soak up more flavor, then add the cold vegetables and feta after it cools so nothing wilts.
  • If the salad tastes flat after chilling, squeeze in a little extra lemon juice and add a pinch of flaky salt right before serving, it wakes everything back up.
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