This is a light, refreshing and tangy Greek pasta salad recipe packed with veggies for a wholesome meal! Ready in 25 minutes from start to finish.
This recipe is sponsored by Nakano Natural and Seasoned Rice Vinegar.
Not Just Another Greek Pasta Salad
Yes, I agree it’s a weird title to give a recipe but give it a taste and you’ll see why I decided to call it that. This Greek pasta salad is made with kale as opposed to spinach, contains hot sauce for a kick of heat and uses Nakano’s roasted garlic seasoned rice vinegar instead of red wine vinegar. Tasty! I’ve also added yellow bell peppers and gorgeous purple shallots for a splash of color and to make it more nutritious. So there. It’s not just another Greek pasta salad, it’s a groovy one!
Now I’m sure you know by now that I am a big fan of Nakano rice vinegars just by looking at the amount of recipes I have using the brand. They are part of the Mizkan family which is one of the biggest and most famous producers of rice vinegar in Japan. Aside from tasting really good, I love the fact that Nakano rice vinegars are free of artificial ingredients or preservatives. This means they contain no high-fructose corn syrup, are msg free and only use real ingredients. They are also gluten and fat free which makes them ideal for cooking for people with sensitivities or dietary preferences.
I’ve always loved Greek pasta salads but they can sometimes be a little bland. Swapping red wine vinegar for roasted garlic rice vinegar adds a sweet and smoky element to the recipe, and the hot sauce makes everything pop. It’s like all of a sudden this mellow salad got a boost of personality! It’s zingy, hot, cooling and filling. It’s the best!
You can make this Greek pasta salad ahead of time and keep it refrigerated until it’s time to serve. This recipe makes enough for 10-12 people (or more if they are having is as a side) which makes it the perfect dish to take to or serve at a barbecue or a kid’s birthday party.
Did you like this Greek Pasta Salad Recipe? Are there changes you made that you would like to share? Share your tips and recommendations in the comments section below!
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PrintGreek Pasta Salad
This is a light, refreshing and tangy Greek pasta salad recipe packed with veggies for a wholesome meal! Ready in 25 minutes from start to finish.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 8 people 1x
- Category: Salad
- Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients
- 1 pound gemelli pasta or other short pasta
- 1 English cucumber
- 20–25 cherry tomatoes (halved)
- 4 ounces feta cheese (crumbled)
- 1 cup pitted kalamata olives
- 1 shallot (finely chopped)
- 2 cups baby kale (chopped)
- hot sauce (optional)
Vinaigrette
- 1/3 cup Nakano roasted garlic rice vinegar
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons hot sauce
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a salted pot of water to a boil. Add pasta, stir and cook according to directions on the package. Rinse under cold water, drain and set aside.
- Put all the ingredients for the vinaigrette in a sealable container and shake well until cloudy. Set aside.
- Peel cucumber and slice in half lengthwise. Scoop the seeds out using a small spoon and chop cucumber in small bite size pieces.
- Add all the ingredients to a large bowl and toss well.
- Season with salt and pepper if needed and serve with hot sauce for those who want more heat.
Notes
This Greek Pasta Salad Recipe Is:
Low in cholesterol
High in thiamin
Very high in vitamin A
Very high in vitamin C
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 409
- Sugar: 4.5 g
- Sodium: 335.1 mg
- Fat: 19.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 47.9 g
- Fiber: 3.5 g
- Protein: 10.5 g
- Cholesterol: 12.6 mg
Keywords: recipe, side dish, vegetarian, appetizer
When you say hot sauce, what kind of sauce is this? Are we talking Siracha? Mexican Hot sauce? A specific Korean sauce?
Hi Erin, I use Frank’s Red Hot sauce but any other type is good for this recipe. I’ve also made it using sriracha and it came out tasting great!