Bell Pepper Pasta Salad ~

An easy Greek-style pasta made with simple ingredients and ready to serve in 30 minutes or less!

I like this recipe because the pasta can be served warm as soon as it’s ready or refrigerated to serve cold. Both are tasty and I’ve been known to serve this salad both ways depending on my mood or food pairing that day.

This recipe yields 4 large side dish portions or 2 main dishes and can be easily doubled to serve a larger group. If serving as an entree, a simple spinach salad rounds out the meal nicely.

Table of Contents

Tips for Success:

Use the freshest bell peppers you can find. This is not a job for jarred peppers; save those for something else, like a skillet full of Pasta Ratatouille.
Don’t overcook the peppers. You want them cooked just enough to retain a little bit of a bite.

Ingredients for Bell Pepper Pasta Salad

You will need:

2 cups medium-size pasta, such as farfalle or penne
1/4 cup cooking water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup yellow onion
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 cup green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 cup red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup black olives, sliced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup vegan feta cheese, crumbled

Ingredient Notes

Pasta: Any medium-size pasta is fine. Farfalle, penne, fusilli, ziti, and rigatoni are all good choices.
Onion: Yellow onions are good, all-purpose onions that won’t overpower the dish.
Garlic: Make sure the garlic is finely minced so it can get evenly dispersed throughout the salad.
Bell Peppers: I used red and green peppers because that’s what I had on hand. Any color combination will work for this recipe.
Black Olives: Kalamata olives can be substituted for black olives, although the bitter flavor will be more pronounced.
Oregano: For convenience, dried oregano works just fine. If you happen to have fresh oregano available, by all means, use it! 3 tablespoons of fresh oregano is the equivalent of 1 tablespoon dried.
Salt and Ground Black Pepper: Season to taste.
Vegan Feta Cheese: To me, store-bought dairy-free feta is reminiscent of goat cheese. I love it but if that flavor doesn’t suit your style, you can always whip up your own homemade vegan feta, or you can leave it out altogether.

How to Make Bell Pepper Pasta Salad

STEP ONE: Cook the pasta according to package directions, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking water. Drain and set aside.

STEP TWO: Into a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion. Saute for 2 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and continue cooking for an additional 30 seconds.

STEP THREE: Add the peppers and cook, stirring frequently for 3 minutes, until crisp-tender. Stir in olives, oregano, salt, and pepper.

STEP FOUR: Add the cooked pasta and reserved cooking water, stirring gently to coat the pasta. Remove from heat.

STEP FIVE: Stir in feta cheese, adjust seasoning to taste, and serve warm.

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