Game Day Pasta Salad
Most pasta salad is a mayonnaise situation — heavy, beige, and forgotten in the back of the fridge. This one goes the other direction: bowtie pasta tossed with tomatoes, feta, red onion, and a lemon-and-olive-oil dressing that stays bright even after it sits. It's the Greek diner version, loaded with fresh dill and parsley.
It's built for a crowd — the recipe serves eight and travels well, which is exactly why it earns the 'game day' name. Make it the morning of, let it sit in the fridge, and it's actually better by kickoff. No mayo means no worrying about it sitting out on the snack table for a few hours, either.
Ingredients
- 3½ tsp Go Greek
- 1 box farfalle pasta, cooked al dente
- 2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
- 4 Tbsp fresh dill, chopped
- ½ cup Italian parsley, chopped
- 1 red onion, diced small
- 1 green bell pepper, diced small
- 1½ cups feta cheese, cubed or crumbled
- ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove, mashed
- ½ cup olive oil
- Fresh ground pepper to taste
Ingredient notes & swaps
- **Go Greek:** This is the flavor engine — an all-natural Greek herb blend heavy on oregano and Mediterranean notes that pulls the whole salad toward a Greek-diner profile. The recipe also plays well with Mediterranean Magic if that's what you have. Grab Go Greek here.
- **Feta:** Buy a block packed in brine and crumble or cube it yourself — it's creamier and less dried-out than the pre-crumbled tubs. Cubed holds up better in a salad that gets tossed.
- **Pasta:** Farfalle (bowties) hold the dressing in their folds and look great in a bowl, but rotini, penne, or fusilli all work. Their ridges and curves trap the vinaigrette.
- **Fresh herbs:** Dill and parsley are doing real work here, not garnishing — don't swap in dried. Pull the leaves off the stems and chop them fresh for the brightest flavor.
- **Vegetarian note:** This salad is naturally vegetarian and gluten-free-friendly if you use GF pasta; Go Greek is all-natural and gluten-free.
- **Olive oil:** Use a good extra-virgin here since it's raw in the dressing — you'll taste it. A grassy, peppery oil is a plus.
Directions
- Cook pasta al dente according to package directions. Drain and let cool.
- Dice onion, halve tomatoes, and dice bell pepper. Place in a large bowl.
- Remove dill and parsley leaves from stems. Chop and add to the bowl.
- Whisk together lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, Go Greek seasoning, and pepper.
- Add cooled pasta and feta to the bowl. Pour dressing over and toss to combine.
Why this works
The dressing is a lemon vinaigrette, not a creamy binder, so it soaks into the pasta and seasons everything from the inside out — and it holds up at room temperature far better than a mayo-based salad. Cooking the pasta al dente is the key structural move: fully soft pasta turns mushy once it absorbs the dressing and sits, while al dente keeps a bite that survives a few hours. Cooling the pasta before you dress it matters too — hot pasta would wilt the herbs and melt the feta into paste instead of keeping it in clean, salty cubes.
What to serve it with
This is a make-ahead party side, so lean into it: pile it in a big bowl next to guacamole, wings, and whatever else is on the game-day table. It pairs naturally with grilled chicken or lamb if you want to build it into a fuller Mediterranean spread. Give it a final toss and a squeeze of fresh lemon right before serving to wake it back up, and scatter a little extra feta and dill on top. Leftovers keep for a couple days and make an easy desk lunch.
Tips
- Use a mix of yellow and red tomatoes for extra color on the table.
- Slightly undercook the pasta — it keeps absorbing dressing as it sits, and al dente noodles won't turn to mush by the second quarter.
- Rinse the diced red onion in cold water for a minute before adding it; it knocks back the harsh raw bite without losing the crunch.
FAQ
Can I make this pasta salad ahead of time?
Absolutely — it's designed for it. Make it up to a day ahead and refrigerate; the flavors meld and it actually improves overnight. Just save a little of the dressing (or an extra squeeze of lemon and drizzle of oil) to toss through right before serving, since the pasta drinks some up as it sits.
How long does pasta salad last in the fridge?
About 3 to 4 days in an airtight container. Because it's a lemon-and-oil dressing rather than mayonnaise, it holds up well and there's no mayo to worry about. Give it a stir and taste before serving leftovers — you may want a pinch more Go Greek or a squeeze of lemon.
Can I make it gluten-free?
Yes. Swap in your favorite gluten-free pasta — corn or chickpea versions hold their shape well in a cold salad. Cook it just to al dente since GF pasta can go soft fast. The Go Greek blend and everything else in the recipe is already gluten-free.
What can I add to make it a full meal?
Fold in grilled chicken, chickpeas, or cubes of salami to turn the side into a main. Kalamata olives, cucumber, and artichoke hearts also fit the Mediterranean profile and bulk it up nicely.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving · values are approximate.