This pasta salad without mayo is perfect for picnics and potlucks! Since it doesn’t have meat or mayonnaise, it’s safer for being left out at summer parties. Great for lunch boxes too!
I love pasta salad for many reasons: With enough veggies thrown in, it can serve as a standalone side. Add in some protein, and you’ve got a one-dish meal. You can make it up to a day ahead of time, which makes dinnertime a breeze. When it looks pretty too, well, it’s just about the perfect dish! I think this is such a pretty side dish because it is so colorful. I like serving it with meat off the grill in the summer. Sometimes I make a separate bowl of kid-friendly pasta salad with veggies they find acceptable.
What’s that you say? Why does it look like there are several different kinds of noodles in there? Even a pantry clean out can look pretty with this recipe! Throw in whatever kind of bite-sized pasta you have, and it will shine with this colorful mix of vegetables. I love using bowties for pasta salad because they look so fun, but in this case I used what was left of four different shapes of pasta. If you need to do a pantry cleanout too, just pretend your custom pasta blend was intentional. Everyone will be impressed.
This easy pasta salad without mayo can easily be made into vegan pasta salad with the right pasta and eliminating the feta. It’s great for barbecues and potlucks since it doesn’t contain mayonnaise, so you don’t have to worry about it sitting out for a couple hours. I also love it leftover for lunch during the week, and again, it’s safe to pack in lunch boxes even if it won’t be refrigerated for a few hours.

Prep Time | 15 minutes |
Cook Time | 15 minutes |
Servings |
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- 12 ounces bite-sized pasta
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 8 large basil leaves minced
- 2 cups grape tomatoes halved
- 1 English cucumber cut in fourths lengthwise and sliced
- 20 kalamata olives sliced in half
- 3 ounces feta cheese crumbled (I use the reduced-fat version)
Ingredients
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- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cool water for a few seconds. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, in a large serving bowl, stir together olive oil, vinegar, dill, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Add in basil, tomatoes, cucumber, and pasta, and stir gently to combine. Fold in feta cheese just before serving.
Adapted from Jamie Oliver's Best Pasta Salad.
We had to sub fresh oregano for the basil, and didn’t have feta, but this was still an amazing pasta salad. It’s light, bright, and fresh. Much nicer than the mayo-heavy pasta salads of barbecues everywhere.
Thanks for the recipe! It’s a keeper.
This sounds delicious! I actually don’t like pasta salads that contain mayo (and most potato salads too), but this seems very refreshing. Nothing beats fresh basil :)
Thanks, Alexis!
This pasta salad is gorgeous and so simple, Andi! Love it! :)
Thank you, Carrie!
I love pasta salad…YUM!!!
I do too, and it’s so easy to change it up with different veggies or flavors. I put the leftover shredded turkey from the club salads into this pasta salad and had it for lunch the next day. Yum!
Love this! Pinned to SD board
Thank you, Paula! Your potato salad looks really good too!