Mediterranean Pasta Salad Chickpeas (Printable)

A refreshing mix of pasta, chickpeas, feta, and crisp vegetables tossed with lemon-oregano dressing.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

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

→ Beans & Cheese

02 - 1 can (14 oz) 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 pasta in salted water until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool completely.
02 - In a large bowl, mix cooled pasta, chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, bell pepper, olives, and parsley.
03 - Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, minced garlic, salt, and pepper until fully blended.
04 - Pour dressing over salad ingredients and toss gently to coat evenly.
05 - Lightly toss crumbled feta cheese into the salad, avoiding breaking the cheese apart.
06 - Adjust seasoning to taste and refrigerate for 15 minutes before serving to enhance flavors.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes better the next day, so you can prep it ahead and actually relax before company arrives.
  • The chickpeas turn it into a proper lunch that keeps you full without weighing you down.
  • Theres no mayonnaise to worry about if it sits out a little longer than planned.
  • Every bite has texture, from the crisp cucumber to the salty olives and creamy feta.
02 -
  • If you skip rinsing the pasta under cold water, it will keep cooking in the bowl and turn gummy by the time you eat it.
  • Add the feta at the very end, stirring it in too early or too hard will turn it into crumbles that dissolve and make the whole salad look muddy.
  • Dont overdress it all at once, you can always add more lemon or oil later, but you cant take it back once its pooling at the bottom.
03 -
  • If you make this the night before, hold back half the feta and sprinkle it on top right before serving so it stays creamy and white.
  • For the brightest flavor, let the dressing sit for five minutes before pouring it over the salad so the garlic and oregano have time to bloom in the lemon and oil.
  • If you want to stretch this for a crowd, cook an extra handful of pasta and toss in more vegetables, the dressing is forgiving and scales up beautifully.
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