Orzo Pasta Salad

Pasta salad is my go-to recipe anytime we have friends and family over. It can be made with a variety of ingredients and goes with grilled chicken, grilled steak or pork chops.

If you loved our Broccoli Salad Recipe or Salad Supreme Pasta Salad then you need to make this Orzo Pasta Salad for your next party.

Why We Love This Recipe

I was amazed how easy this pasta salad was to make. I love making pasta salad with fresh ingredients for an easy side dish. The bright and delicious ingredients combine easily in a large mixing bowl to serve easily at our family gathering.

Everyone loved how delicious it was and how perfect the texture was on the Orzo.

Ingredients

• Uncooked Orzo Pasta – Cooks quick and easy
• Cherry Tomatoes – We like to half to make it easy to serve. You can also use grape tomatoes
• English Cucumber – Add the perfect amount of crunch
• Red Bell Pepper – You can also add in green bell pepper
• Pitted Kalamata olives, halved – Kalamata olives add a briny, salty flavor to the salad. You can substitute black olives or just leave them out if you prefer

Scroll to the bottom for the recipe card for the full recipe.

Variations Ideas

• Change Pasta – This Orzo Salad can be made with other types of small pasta, quinoa, or couscous.
• Add Protein – You can easily add in protein this salad. Try adding in chickpeas, chicken, salmon, shrimp or steak.
• Add Veggies – Feel free to load this salad with more vegetables. Arugula, spinach, kale, corn, and roasted red pepper are always a great addition. I have even added in diced avocado for amazing flavor.
• Fresh Herbs – Adding in fresh spices are always a great idea. Fresh basil or fresh dill gives this pasta salad a refreshing taste.

How to Make Orzo Pasta Salad

Step 1 – Cook the orzo pasta in a large pot of salted water according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain the pasta and rinse it under cold water to cool it down. Set aside.

Step 2 – In a large bowl, combine the halved cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber, diced red bell pepper, chopped red onion, Kalamata olives, crumbled feta cheese, chopped parsley, and mint.

Step 3 – In a separate small bowl, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, dried oregano, salt, and pepper to make the homemade dressing.

Step 4 – Add the cooled orzo pasta to the large bowl with the vegetables and feta cheese.

Step 5 – Pour the homemade dressing over the pasta and vegetable mixture. Toss gently to combine, ensuring that the dressing evenly coats the pasta and vegetables.

Step 6 – Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the pasta salad for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to blend together.

• Step 7 – Before serving, give the pasta salad a quick toss and taste for seasoning. Adjust salt and pepper if needed.

Expert Tips

• Chill Pasta Salad – Letting the salad chill for at least 30 minutes allows the flavors to develop and blend together. You can make the salad up to a day in advance and store it in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
• Cooking Orzo – Cook the orzo according to the package or al dente. You want to make sure to not overcook as it could result in a mushy pasta salad. It is not done cooking after it has soaked up the water, you may need to add in 2 tablespoons of water to continue cooking.
• Cool Orzo – After cooking to orzo make sure to cool completely before combining with the other ingredients. We like to rinse to stop it from cooking and to speed up the cooling period.

Serving Suggestions

This pasta salad is a delicious side dish recipe to many recipes. We often make it during the summer so I love to serve it at our summertime cookouts or take to our families potlucks.

Here are some of my favorite recipe to serve with this pasta salad.

• Texas Roadhouse Grilled Shrimp
• Grilled Teriyaki Pork Chops
• Grilled Chicken Kabobs
• Steak Kabobs Recipe