Cucumber Pasta Salad (Printable)
Crisp cucumbers, tender pasta, cherry tomatoes and creamy yogurt-dill dressing — a bright chilled side for warm-weather meals.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 9 oz short pasta such as rotini, fusilli, or penne
→ Vegetables
02 - 1 large cucumber, thinly sliced
03 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
04 - 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
05 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
→ Dressing
06 - 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
07 - 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
08 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
09 - 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
10 - 1 garlic clove, minced
11 - Salt and pepper, to taste
→ Optional Add-Ins
12 - 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
13 - 2 tablespoons capers
# How To Make It:
01 - Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package instructions. Drain thoroughly, rinse with cold water to stop cooking, and set aside.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, combine Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Whisk until dressing is smooth and emulsified.
03 - Incorporate sliced cucumber, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and chopped dill into the dressing. Fold gently until vegetables are evenly coated.
04 - Add cooled pasta to the bowl with vegetables and dressing. Toss gently to ensure uniform coating.
05 - If using, fold in crumbled feta cheese and capers, mixing until just combined.
06 - Cover bowl and refrigerate salad for at least 30 minutes to develop flavors. Toss again before serving and adjust seasoning if desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- This salad comes together in under half an hour but always tastes like you spent much longer on it.
- The homemade yogurt dressing clings to every bite so no mouthful ever feels bland or boring.
02 -
- Once I forgot to rinse the pasta and it turned the whole salad gloopy instead of fresh—don’t skip the cold rinse.
- Letting the salad chill for a bit really does make the flavors brighter and the veggies crisper.
03 -
- Slice the cucumber at the very last minute if you want it extra crisp—water content makes a difference.
- Lemon zest boosts the flavor without adding more acidity if you want even brighter notes.