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Two bowls of Mediterranean pasta salad with cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and herbs.

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

Mediterranean Pasta Salad gets a makeover in this house and there is no going back. Fusilli pasta, shawarma-spiced pan-seared chicken, crispy chickpeas, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, pickles, and red onion all tossed in a creamy tahini yogurt dressing that is so good you will want to eat it with a spoon before it ever reaches the salad.
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mediterranean, Middle Eastern
Keyword: pasta salad
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 571kcal
Author: Lola Jay

Ingredients

Shawarma Chicken

Salad

  • 1 lb fusilli pasta
  • 2 tablespoon chicken bouillon
  • 1 can chickpeas drained and rinsed
  • 1.5 cups Persian cucumbers sliced
  • 1.5 cups cherry tomatoes sliced
  • ½ cup red onion thinly sliced
  • ¾ cup pickles chopped

Tahini yogurt dressing

  • ⅓ cup tahini
  • ½ cup full fat Greek yogurt
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 small garlic cloves finely grated
  • ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ¼ teaspoon paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • ⅓ cup water or more until desired consistency

For serving

  • Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
  • Smoked paprika for dusting
  • Finish and serve
US Customary - Metric

Instructions 

Cook and cool the pasta

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the chicken bouillon if using. If not, make sure to generously salt the water since this is a pasta salad. The water should taste like the ocean. Cook the fusilli according to package instructions until al dente. The pasta should have a slight bite in the center and not be completely soft. Drain and let it cool for 15 minutes.
    1 lb fusilli pasta, 2 tablespoon chicken bouillon

Season and sear the chicken

  • Slice the chicken thighs into strips. Add the sliced chicken thighs to a large bowl. Add the cumin, smoked paprika, cinnamon, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and lemon juice and toss until every piece is evenly and generously coated.
    2.5 lbs boneless chicken thighs, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
    Raw chicken pieces with spices on a white plate in a kitchen setting.
  • Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken thighs in a single layer. Cook undisturbed for 5 to 6 minutes until deeply golden. Stir and cook for another 5 to 6 minutes until cooked through to an internal temperature of 170F. Remove from the pan and let rest.
    2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
    Cooking seasoned chicken pieces in a hot skillet.

Make the tahini yogurt dressing

  • Add the tahini, Greek yogurt, extra virgin olive oil, grated garlic, lemon juice, cumin, onion powder, paprika, salt, and black pepper to a medium bowl. Whisk together until combined. Add the water a little at a time, whisking as you go, until the dressing is smooth, creamy, and pourable but still thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Taste and adjust lemon, salt, and garlic as needed. The dressing should be bright, nutty, and well seasoned on its own.
    ⅓ cup tahini, ½ cup full fat Greek yogurt, ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, 2 small garlic cloves, ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice, ½ teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon paprika, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ⅓ cup water
    Creamy sauce in ceramic bowl with spoon.

Prep the vegetables

  • Slice the Persian cucumbers into thin half quarters. Slice the cherry tomatoes. Dice the red onion. Chop the pickles into small pieces. Drain and rinse the chickpeas, then pat them dry with a paper towel.
    1.5 cups Persian cucumbers, 1.5 cups cherry tomatoes, ½ cup red onion, ¾ cup pickles, 1 can chickpeas

Assemble

  • Add the completely cooled pasta to a very large bowl. Add the sliced chicken, chickpeas, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and pickles. Pour about two thirds of the dressing over everything and toss well until every piece of pasta and every vegetable is evenly coated. Taste and add more dressing as needed. Save any remaining dressing for reviving the salad the next day.
    Chopped salad bowl with grilled chicken, cucumbers, tomatoes, and tahini dressing being poured on top.

Finish and serve

  • Transfer to a serving bowl or platter. Drizzle generously with extra virgin olive oil and dust with smoked paprika. Serve cold or at room temperature. If making ahead, cover and refrigerate. The next day, add a drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and toss to revive the dressing back to its original creamy consistency.
    Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling, Smoked paprika for dusting
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Notes

Nutrition facts are only estimates.
Storage
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The pasta will absorb the dressing as it sits, and the salad will look dry when you take it out of the fridge. Add a small drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and toss to bring the dressing back to life. Taste and adjust seasoning before serving, as cold temperatures mute flavors slightly. Not recommended for freezing, as the pasta texture and the Greek yogurt in the dressing both suffer once frozen and thawed.

Nutrition

Calories: 571kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 112mg | Sodium: 431mg | Potassium: 565mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 437IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 72mg | Iron: 3mg
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