Italian Orzo Pasta Salad

This Italian Orzo Pasta Salad is a great side dish for family dinners or your next barbecue. Tender orzo pairs perfectly with fresh veggies, crumbled feta, and a simple homemade dressing. It’s easy to prepare and packed with flavor.

You’ll love this recipe if you enjoy Tuna Macaroni Salad and German Potato Salad.

This recipe is simple and easy to follow. You’ll start by cooking the orzo until it’s tender, then set it aside to cool. Next, whisk together the dressing. Once everything is prepped, toss the orzo, vegetables, and dressing together until well combined. Let the salad chill in the fridge for a bit to bring out the flavors, and then it’s ready to serve.

This dish also stores great in the fridge, making it perfect for meal prep. You can enjoy it over the next few days without worrying about losing flavor or texture.

💛 Why you’ll love this recipe

• Impressive flavors with minimal effort required on your part.
• Uses straightforward ingredients you may already have on hand.
• Great for meal prep — keeps well in the fridge for a few days.
• Versatile — pairs well with a variety of main dishes.

➡️ Ingredients

⏲ How to make this Italian orzo pasta salad recipe

This is an overview of the recipe’s instructions. The full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

• Cook Orzo: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the orzo pasta and cook according to the package instructions, about 8-10 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Set that aside to cool.

Recipe Tip: When cooking the orzo, make sure to stir it occasionally to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Once it’s done, you’ll rinse it under cold water to stop the cooking process and keep it from becoming mushy.

• Prepare Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the red wine vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
• Combine Vegetables: In a large mixing bowl, combine the cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red bell pepper, red onion, and Kalamata olives.

• Add Orzo: Add the cooled orzo pasta to the vegetable mixture, then toss to combine.
• Dress Salad: Pour the dressing over the orzo and vegetables. Toss well to ensure everything is evenly coated.
• Add Remaining Ingredients: Gently fold in the basil and feta.
• Chill Salad: Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
• Serve: Give the salad a final toss before serving.

Recipe Tip: Taste the salad before serving. If it seems too tangy, you can add a pinch of sugar or a bit more olive oil to balance it out. If you feel it still needs another boost of flavor, a sprinkle of salt or a squeeze of lemon can brighten it up.

👉 Ingredient substitution suggestions

• Red Wine Vinegar: Substitute with apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar.
• Dijon Mustard: Use whole-grain mustard or stone-ground mustard.
• Honey: Swap with maple syrup or agave nectar.
• Feta Cheese: Goat cheese works well here.
• Kalamata Olives: Use black olives or green olives.
• Fresh Basil: Substitute with fresh parsley or cilantro.

✨ Variations

• Add Protein: To make it a more filling main dish, toss in some grilled chicken, shrimp, or chickpeas.
• Spicy: Add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the dressing for a little kick.
• Extra Veggies: Include roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, or sun-dried tomatoes for more depth of flavor.

〰️ How to serve

• Protein — Grilled chicken, shrimp, pork chops, or baked fish.
• Bread — Crusty bread, garlic knots, or pita bread.

💬 FAQs

📚 More salad recipes

• German Potato Salad
• Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
• Fresh Corn Salad
• Cauliflower Potato Salad
• Creamy Dill Cucumber Onion Salad

🍽 Recipe

Italian Orzo Pasta Salad

Author: Sara Nelson

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Yield: 6 servings

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Mediterranean

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This Italian Orzo Pasta Salad is a great side dish for family dinners or your next barbecue. Tender orzo pairs perfectly with fresh veggies, crumbled feta, and a simple homemade dressing. It’s easy to prepare and packed with flavor.

Ingredients 

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• ▢ 1 ½ cups orzo pasta
• ▢ ¼ cup red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• ▢ ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ▢ ½ teaspoon honey
• ▢ Salt and pepper to taste
• ▢ 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
• ▢ ½ cup diced cucumber
• ▢ ½ cup diced red bell pepper
• ▢ ¼ cup finely chopped red onion
• ▢ ¼ cup pitted and sliced Kalamata olives
• ▢ ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
• ▢ ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese

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Instructions 

• Cook Orzo: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add orzo pasta and cook according to package instructions, about 8-10 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Set aside to cool.
• Prepare Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together red wine vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
• Combine Vegetables: In a large mixing bowl, combine cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red bell pepper, red onion, and Kalamata olives.
• Add Orzo: Add cooled orzo pasta to vegetable mixture. Toss to combine.
• Dress Salad: Pour dressing over orzo and vegetables. Toss well to ensure everything is evenly coated.
• Add Remaining Ingredients: Gently fold in basil and feta.
• Chill Salad: Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
• Serve: Give salad a final toss before serving.

Video

Recipe Notes

Prepping Salad In Advance: You can prepare the orzo and chop the vegetables a day ahead. Store the cooked orzo and chopped veggies separately in airtight containers in the fridge. Whisk the dressing and keep it in a sealed jar. When you’re ready to serve, combine everything, then toss with the dressing.

Refrigerator Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. The salad will stay fresh for up to 3 days. Give it a quick toss before serving again.