Homemade Mediterranean Pasta Salad with Kale

If you ask me, pasta salad is one of the best ways to eat your greens.

This Mediterranean-inspired dish combines tender rotini with hearty kale and a basil-packed dressing that brings everything together. Sun-dried tomatoes add a sweet, concentrated flavor while two types of cheese—crumbly feta and nutty parmesan—give it some salty richness.

The dressing is simple: olive oil, white wine vinegar, fresh garlic, and oregano blended with basil until smooth. It coats every piece of pasta and helps soften the kale just enough.

It’s a satisfying side dish that works for potlucks, weeknight dinners, or meal prep. Plus, it tastes even better the next day.

What Kind of Kale Should I Use?

For this pasta salad, you can use either curly kale or lacinato kale (also called dinosaur kale), and both will taste great. Lacinato kale tends to be a bit more tender and has a slightly milder flavor, which makes it nice for raw salads, while curly kale has more texture and holds up well when massaged with the dressing. Whichever type you choose, make sure to remove the tough stems and tear or chop the leaves into bite-sized pieces. A quick tip: massaging your kale with a little bit of the olive oil for about a minute before tossing everything together will help break down the fibers and make it less chewy and more enjoyable to eat.

Options for Substitutions

This pasta salad is pretty forgiving when it comes to swapping ingredients:

• Kale: If kale isn’t your thing, try spinach, arugula, or even chopped romaine. Spinach is milder and doesn’t need any massaging like kale does.
• Sun dried tomatoes: Fresh cherry tomatoes work great if you don’t have sun dried ones on hand. You’ll get a lighter, fresher flavor instead of that concentrated sweetness.
• Feta cheese: Goat cheese or ricotta salata make good stand-ins for feta. They’ll give you that same tangy, creamy element.
• Parmesan cheese: Pecorino Romano is a solid swap here – it’s a bit saltier, so you might want to reduce the added salt slightly.
• Basil: Fresh parsley or a mix of parsley and oregano works if you’re out of basil. The flavor profile will shift slightly, but it’ll still taste great.
• White wine vinegar: Red wine vinegar, lemon juice, or apple cider vinegar all work fine. Start with 1 to 2 teaspoons and adjust to taste.
• Pasta: Any short pasta shape works here – penne, rotini, farfalle, or even orzo. Just stick with something that can hold onto the dressing.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake with pasta salad is adding the dressing while the pasta is still warm, which causes it to absorb too much liquid and leaves your salad dry – always let your pasta cool completely before tossing.

Don’t skip the step of massaging the kale with a bit of olive oil for a full 1-2 minutes, as this breaks down the tough fibers and makes it much more tender and easier to eat.

Another common error is under-salting the pasta water (it should taste like the ocean), since this is your only chance to season the pasta itself from the inside out.

For the best flavor, make sure to chop your sun-dried tomatoes into smaller pieces so they distribute evenly throughout the salad, and if you’re making this ahead, save a little extra dressing to toss in before serving since the pasta and kale will continue to absorb moisture as it sits.

What to Serve With Mediterranean Pasta Salad?

This pasta salad is pretty filling on its own, but it pairs really well with grilled chicken, salmon, or shrimp if you want to add some protein. It’s also great alongside other picnic or potluck favorites like deviled eggs, hummus with pita chips, or a simple cucumber and tomato salad. Since the flavors are already bold with the feta and sun-dried tomatoes, I like to keep the sides simple – maybe some warm pita bread or focaccia on the side. This salad also works as a side dish for grilled meats at a barbecue, or you can enjoy it all by itself for a light lunch.

Storage Instructions

Store: This pasta salad actually gets better after sitting in the fridge for a few hours as the flavors meld together. Keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You might need to add a drizzle of olive oil before serving since the pasta tends to absorb the dressing as it sits.

Make Ahead: This is a great recipe to prep the night before a gathering or for meal prep Sunday. The kale holds up really well and won’t get soggy like other greens. Just give it a good toss before serving to redistribute the dressing.

Serve: I like this pasta salad best at room temperature, so take it out of the fridge about 20-30 minutes before you plan to eat. If it seems a bit dry, just toss in a splash of olive oil and another pinch of salt to freshen it up.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 900-1050
• Protein: 23-28 g
• Fat: 53-62 g
• Carbohydrates: 78-85 g

Ingredients

For the salad:

• 1.5 cups pasta (I use Barilla rotini for the best texture)
• 3 cups kale (ribs removed and leaves torn into 1-inch pieces)
• 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes
• 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup feta cheese (I prefer President feta crumbles)

For the dressing:

• 1/2 cup basil (packed tightly to get a more vibrant green color)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 tsp white wine vinegar
• 3 garlic cloves
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• black pepper

Step 1: Prepare the Mise en Place and Start the Pasta

• 1.5 cups pasta
• 3 cups kale
• 1/2 cup basil
• 3 garlic cloves
• salt for pasta water

Remove the ribs from the kale and tear the leaves into 1-inch pieces, then set aside.

Remove the stems from the basil and discard (you’ll only need the leaves).

Peel the garlic cloves.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the pasta, cooking it to al dente according to package directions (usually 8-10 minutes).

While the pasta cooks, you can prep the remaining ingredients.

Drain the pasta in a colander and spread it on a clean kitchen towel or parchment paper to cool slightly—this prevents it from clumping and allows it to absorb the dressing better.

Step 2: Make the Vibrant Basil-Garlic Dressing

• 1/2 cup basil
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 tsp white wine vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 3/4 tsp salt
• black pepper

Add the basil leaves, garlic cloves, olive oil, white wine vinegar, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper to a food processor.

Blend until smooth and emulsified, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed—you want a cohesive dressing with no large chunks.

Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

I like to add a crack more black pepper than the recipe calls for to give it a nice peppery kick that complements the kale beautifully.

Step 3: Massage the Kale to Soften and Tenderize

• 3 cups kale
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Place the torn kale in a large mixing bowl and drizzle with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil (from any leftover or a separate measure).

Using your hands, massage the kale vigorously for 1-2 minutes, working the oil into the leaves until they become darker, softer, and more pliable.

This process breaks down the kale’s cell structure, making it more tender and better able to absorb the dressing flavors.

Set the massaged kale aside in the bowl.

Step 4: Assemble the Salad Components

• massaged kale from Step 3
• cooled pasta from Step 1
• 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes
• 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup feta cheese

To the bowl with the massaged kale, add the cooled pasta from Step 1, the sun-dried tomatoes, parmesan cheese, and feta cheese crumbles.

Toss everything together gently to combine all the components evenly.

At this point, the salad looks relatively dry, but that’s perfect—the dressing will be absorbed as it sits.

Step 5: Dress and Chill the Salad

• assembled salad from Step 4
• basil-garlic dressing from Step 2

Pour the basil-garlic dressing from Step 2 over the salad and toss well, making sure every ingredient gets coated evenly.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a lid and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

I find that letting it chill actually improves the flavor—the kale continues to soften and all the Mediterranean flavors meld together beautifully.

You can make this up to 4 hours ahead, which makes it perfect for meal prep or entertaining.

Homemade Mediterranean Pasta Salad with Kale

Delicious Homemade Mediterranean Pasta Salad with Kale recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 975

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

For the salad::

• 1.5 cups pasta (I use Barilla rotini for the best texture)
• 3 cups kale (ribs removed and leaves torn into 1-inch pieces)
• 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes
• 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup feta cheese (I prefer President feta crumbles)

For the dressing::

• 1/2 cup basil (packed tightly to get a more vibrant green color)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 tsp white wine vinegar
• 3 garlic cloves
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• black pepper

Method

 

1. Remove the ribs from the kale and tear the leaves into 1-inch pieces, then set aside. Remove the stems from the basil and discard (you'll only need the leaves). Peel the garlic cloves. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the pasta, cooking it to al dente according to package directions (usually 8-10 minutes). While the pasta cooks, you can prep the remaining ingredients. Drain the pasta in a colander and spread it on a clean kitchen towel or parchment paper to cool slightly—this prevents it from clumping and allows it to absorb the dressing better.
2. Add the basil leaves, garlic cloves, olive oil, white wine vinegar, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper to a food processor. Blend until smooth and emulsified, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed—you want a cohesive dressing with no large chunks. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. I like to add a crack more black pepper than the recipe calls for to give it a nice peppery kick that complements the kale beautifully.
3. Place the torn kale in a large mixing bowl and drizzle with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil (from any leftover or a separate measure). Using your hands, massage the kale vigorously for 1-2 minutes, working the oil into the leaves until they become darker, softer, and more pliable. This process breaks down the kale's cell structure, making it more tender and better able to absorb the dressing flavors. Set the massaged kale aside in the bowl.
4. To the bowl with the massaged kale, add the cooled pasta from Step 1, the sun-dried tomatoes, parmesan cheese, and feta cheese crumbles. Toss everything together gently to combine all the components evenly. At this point, the salad looks relatively dry, but that's perfect—the dressing will be absorbed as it sits.
5. Pour the basil-garlic dressing from Step 2 over the salad and toss well, making sure every ingredient gets coated evenly. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a lid and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. I find that letting it chill actually improves the flavor—the kale continues to soften and all the Mediterranean flavors meld together beautifully. You can make this up to 4 hours ahead, which makes it perfect for meal prep or entertaining.