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Mediterranean Chicken Pasta Salad

Mediterranean chicken pasta salad with penne, grilled chicken, feta, olives, and crunchy cucumbers in a bright lemon-herb dressing. Chilled for at least 1 hour so the flavors meld while the pasta stays firm-tender.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
chilling 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Calories: 520
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

penne pasta
  • 1 lb penne pasta
grilled chicken breast, sliced
  • 2 cup grilled chicken breast, sliced
cherry tomatoes
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
cucumber
  • 1 cup cucumber, diced
Kalamata olives
  • 0.5 cup Kalamata olives, sliced
red onion
  • 0.5 cup red onion, diced
feta cheese
  • 6 oz feta cheese, crumbled
olive oil
  • 0.25 cup olive oil
lemon juice
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice
garlic
  • 2 garlic, minced
fresh oregano or dried oregano
  • 1 tbsp fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried)
salt and pepper
  • 1 Salt and pepper to taste

Method
 

Cook and chill the pasta
  1. Cook penne pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water until the pasta looks clean and stops steaming.
Make the lemon-herb dressing
  1. Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper until the dressing looks uniform and slightly glossy. Taste and adjust seasoning to your preference.
Toss and chill
  1. Combine pasta, grilled chicken breast, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, Kalamata olives, and red onion in a large bowl. Toss gently until everything is evenly distributed with visible colors.
  2. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. The pasta should look lightly coated rather than dry.
  3. Gently fold in feta cheese so it stays in small crumbles. Stop once the feta is incorporated with faint streaks rather than fully smoothed in.
  4. Refrigerate the salad for at least 1 hour before serving. Cover it so it chills evenly and the flavors look settled throughout.

Notes

For best texture, rinse the cooked pasta under cold water to prevent over-softening, then toss promptly with the dressing so it absorbs without drying out. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days; freezing is not recommended as feta and vegetables can lose texture. If you want a lower-fat option, use reduced-fat feta and slightly reduce olive oil to keep the lemon-herb flavor balanced.