This Cucumber Pasta Salad is easy, creamy, and loaded with crisp cucumber and veggies in a tangy homemade tzatziki dressing. It comes together in about 20 minutes and only gets better as it chills, which makes it perfect for summer potlucks, BBQs, or easy weekday lunches.
If you love fresh, veggie-packed sides like my Zesty Garden Pasta Salad, this one belongs in your rotation. The tzatziki-style dressing is the secret — it’s lighter and brighter than the heavy, mayo-only salads you usually see.
Why You’ll Love This Cucumber Pasta Salad
- Quick and easy. It comes together in about 20 minutes with no cooking beyond boiling the pasta.
- Make-ahead friendly. The flavors get better as it chills, so it’s perfect for prepping the night before a potluck or busy week.
- Cool and refreshing. Crisp cucumber and a creamy tzatziki dressing make this the perfect light meal or side dish for hot summer days.
- Crowd-pleasing. It’s a guaranteed hit at BBQs, picnics, and family gatherings — and easily doubles for a crowd.
- Veggie-packed. Cucumber, red onion, and fresh spinach sneak extra nutrients into every bite.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
For the Dressing:
- Cucumber – Any cucumber works here, so use whatever you have. Regular garden cucumbers are perfect too — just peel them and scoop out the seeds so the salad doesn’t get watery. Mini or Persian cucumbers are great as well and can usually be left unpeeled.
- Mayo – I love the tangy flavor that mayo adds to this dressing. However, you can easily replace it with equal amounts plain Greek yogurt for a healthier swap.
- Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt – This combines with the mayo to make the perfect base for the dressing. I like to use plain Greek yogurt when I have it. It adds some protein and is more authentic to traditional tzatziki sauce. However, sour cream tastes equally as good! I’ve made it with sour cream multiple times.
- Garlic – I like to use minced garlic. I always have a jar of it in the refrigerator so it’s quick and easy to use. If you don’t have any, you could also finely chop fresh garlic cloves. In a pinch, you could use half a teaspoon of garlic powder as a substitute.
- Dill seasoning – This is one of the main ingredients in tzatziki sauce, which is why I include it in the dressing. It adds a lot of flavor.
- Salt – Make sure to taste at the end and add more, if needed.
- Juice and zest from one lemon – The zest adds another level of flavor.
For the pasta:
- Pasta – I like to use rotini noodles, but any short noodle will do! (Macaroni, bow-tie, elbow, etc.)
- Cucumber – Use the same process as with the cucumbers in the dressing. Peel, scoop seeds and chop. This helps the cucumbers hold up longer without getting too watery. If you know there won’t be leftovers, you can always leave the seeds in.
- Red onion – Finely dice about half an onion into small pieces. The red onion flavors goes so well with the rest of the flavors in this pasta salad.
- Fresh spinach – I love throwing fresh spinach into my recipes whenever possible. It has so many health benefits and really doesn’t affect the taste!
Video Instructions
Tips for the Best Cucumber Pasta Salad
Scoop the cucumber seeds. Cut the cucumber lengthwise and run a spoon down the center to remove the seeds before chopping. This is the key to keeping your salad from turning watery, especially if you want leftovers to last.
Rinse the pasta under cool water. Once it’s drained, rinse the cooked pasta under cool water to stop the cooking and bring the temperature down. This keeps the dressing creamy instead of melting into the warm noodles.
Don’t skip the chill time. Let the salad rest in the fridge for at least 3–4 hours before serving — or make it the day before. The flavors meld and the dressing soaks in, and it genuinely tastes better the longer it sits.
Salt to taste at the end. The dressing can take more salt than you’d expect once it’s tossed with the pasta and veggies, so taste and adjust right before serving.
Add the dressing gradually if prepping ahead. Pasta soaks up dressing as it sits, so if you’re making it well in advance, hold back a little dressing and toss it in just before serving to keep everything creamy.
FAQ’s
Absolutely. Swap the mayo for extra Greek yogurt or sour cream for a lighter, tangier dressing. It might be slightly less creamy but still tastes great.
Short, sturdy noodles work best. Rotini is usually my go-to, but bow-tie, penne, macaroni, or any short pasta will do the job.
Peel and seed your cucumbers before chopping. Removing the seeds is the single biggest thing you can do to keep the salad fresh, but if you plan on finishing it within 1-2 days, it’s not really necessary.
And if you make this Creamy Cucumber Pasta Salad, I’d love it if you’d leave a quick rating and comment below — it really helps other readers find the recipe!
Creamy Cucumber Pasta Salad with Tzatziki Dressing
Ingredients
Dressing Ingredients
- ½ cucumber finely chopped
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
- ½ cup mayo **see recipe notes
- ½ tbsp garlic minced
- ½ tbsp dill seasoning
- ½ tsp salt
- juice and zest from one lemon
Remaining Ingredients
- 1 lb pasta
- 1-2 regular or English cucumbers (or 3-4 mini or Persian cucumbers)
- ½ red onion finely diced
- 1 cup fresh spinach chopped
Instructions
- Boil water for noodles in a large pot.
- While waiting for the water to boil, mix all the dressing ingredients together in a large bowl. NOTE: I recommend scooping out the seeds from your cucumber to prevent the dressing from getting too watery. I do this by cutting the cucumber lengthwise and then using my knife or a spoon to scoop the seeds out. They come out super easy! Then, I chop them.
- Once pasta is done, move to strainer, rinse under cool water and drain well. Add cooled, drained pasta to the bowl with the dressing.
- Add the red onion, spinach and cucumber. Toss everything together, cover and chill. Enjoy after 3-4 hours in the refrigerator, or you can always make this a day ahead.
- If you make this recipe and could take a quick second to give it a rating below, I would be so grateful! Just scroll all the way to the bottom and click the amount of stars you rate this. Thank you so much!
Notes
Nutrition
Storing and Making Ahead
In the fridge: Store leftovers in an airtight container for 3–5 days. If you scooped out the cucumber seeds, it’ll hold up on the longer end without getting watery.
Make-ahead: This pasta salad is perfect to make in advance. Prep it the night before a potluck or gathering — the flavors only get better as it chills. If making it more than a day ahead, hold back a little dressing and toss it in just before serving so it stays creamy.
Freezing: Not recommended. The cucumber, spinach, and creamy dressing don’t hold up well frozen, so this one is best made fresh and enjoyed within a few days.
More Cold Pasta Salad Recipes
Love a good pasta salad? Here are a few more fresh, easy recipes to add to your rotation:
- Creamy Cilantro Lime Pasta Salad — bright, zesty, and perfect alongside grilled chicken or tacos
- Black Bean and Corn Pasta Salad — creamy lime flavor, and a guaranteed potluck winner
- Creamy Dill Rainbow Pasta Salad — colorful, healthy and full of flavor with the BEST creamy dill dressing
- Creamy Corn Pasta Salad — sweet corn and a creamy dressing, perfect for any occasion
This is the best recipe. We make this often during our cucumber harvesting summer! Thank you for sharing!!
I’m so glad you like it! Thank you so much for helping support my small blog by giving it a rating! I really appreciate it. :)
I made this today for our weekly family pot luck and it was amazing! (I tried it before hand) I’m sure everyone is going to love it when I bring it this evening!
I love that you have a weekly family potluck! That’s such a sweet tradition. And I’m so glad everyone liked the pasta! Thank you so much for rating it. It helps so much. :)