Mediterranean Pasta Salad Chickpeas (Printable format)

A vibrant Mediterranean pasta salad combining chickpeas, crisp vegetables, feta, and a zesty olive oil dressing.

# List of ingredients:

→ Pasta

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

→ Beans & Cheese

02 - 14 oz canned 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 and cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water to cool.
02 - In a large salad bowl, mix together the cooled pasta, chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, bell pepper, olives, and parsley.
03 - Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, minced garlic, salt, and pepper in a small bowl or jar until emulsified.
04 - Pour the dressing over the salad mixture and toss gently to ensure even coating.
05 - Sprinkle crumbled feta over the salad and toss lightly to combine without breaking the cheese.
06 - Adjust seasoning to taste, then refrigerate for 15 minutes before serving to blend flavors.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It's a complete meal without any heaviness, so you actually feel energized afterward instead of sluggish.
  • The flavors get better as it sits, making it perfect for meal prep or bringing to gatherings without last-minute stress.
  • You can throw it together in under 30 minutes and impress people who think you spent hours cooking.
02 -
  • Never add the feta until the very end, or it'll turn into crumbly dust instead of staying as distinct, creamy bites throughout the salad.
  • Cold pasta salad tastes different after it sits in the fridge—the flavors deepen and meld, so if it seems underseasoned when you first make it, trust that it'll improve.
  • Make sure your pasta is completely cooled before dressing it, or the warm pasta will absorb too much dressing and you'll end up with a dry salad later.
03 -
  • Taste your dressing before it goes on the salad—this is your only chance to adjust it without having to rescue the whole batch.
  • If you're serving this at room temperature (for a gathering, for instance), pull it out of the fridge about 10 minutes before, as the flavors are more pronounced when it's not ice-cold.
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