Italian Orzo Pasta Salad is a simple pasta salad loaded full of flavor! Salty salami, creamy mozzarella, sun dried tomatoes and fresh basil mix perfectly with the orzo pasta. Drizzle in a homemade dressing to bring home the full Italian flavor in this pasta salad.
Italian Orzo Pasta Salad Ingredients
Making a pasta salad should be hassle-free and delicious. When it comes to this recipe, the main key is to cut all of the ingredients roughly the same size so that they are all uniform when tossed together. Not only that, but they will also be easier to fit onto a fork! Now, let’s dive into the ingredients needed for this pasta salad:
- Orzo pasta – it looks like rice, but it’s pasta! It cooks like pasta and tastes like it as well. How fun is that?!
- Italian dry salami – look for the kind that is still in a log vs. the kind that is thinly sliced as it will need to be cut into cubes. It can typically be found in the deli department of the grocery store.
- Mozzarella cheese – go for the actual cheese block vs. the shredded cheese as it will need to be cut into cubes to match the salami.
- Fresh basil – the best flavor in this pasta salad! Fresh and vibrant.
- Sun dried tomatoes – they deliver the perfect tomato flavor without over-powering the other ingredients.
- Extra virgin olive oil – used as the base for the homemade dressing.
- Lemon juice – fresh is best! It adds just the right amount of acidity to the dressing.
How to Serve
Pasta salad can often gets a bad rap as it typically isn’t the star of the show. Well, let me tell you, this Italian Orzo Pasta Salad is turning the tables!
Serve a batch for a family gathering, picnic, taking a side dish to a friends house, the holidays or just because! It also does well as a meal-prep option and makes for great lunch leftovers! Imagine knowing you have a batch of this pasta salad waiting for you in your refrigerator for lunch. I’d be excited!
When serving this pasta salad, it can also be served at room temperature or cold. It also gets better the longer the flavors sit together after you make it. The perfect side dish!
Italian Orzo Pasta Salad is one of those recipes that just surprises you. Simple ingredients come together in a simple way for a delicious outcome. I promise, this will be a pasta salad that you love!
Looking for other Side Dish recipes? Check these out!
Cheesy Garlic Bread
Maple Bacon Brussel Sprouts
Roasted Broccolini
Italian Orzo Pasta Salad
(3 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)
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- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
Italian Orzo Pasta Salad is a simple pasta salad loaded full of flavor! Salty salami, creamy mozzarella, sun dried tomatoes and fresh basil mix perfectly with the orzo pasta. Drizzle in a homemade dressing to bring home the full Italian flavor in this pasta salad.
Ingredients
- 16 oz Orzo pasta
- 8 oz Italian dry salami log, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 8 oz mozzarella cheese block, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 1/2 cup basil, chopped
- 1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Cook the orzo pasta according to package instructions, drain and allow to cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, add the orzo pasta, salami, mozzarella, basil and sun dried tomatoes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil. lemon juice, pepper and salt. Pour over the pasta mixture and toss to coat completely.
- Allow to sit for 15-20 minutes before serving for all the flavors to combine. Refrigerate and serve cold or serve at room temperature. Enjoy!
Notes
- This pasta salad can be served at room temperature or cold. The flavors combine the more it sits together!
- Nutritional information for this recipe is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Side Dishes
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 0.5g
- Sodium: 668mg
- Fat: 21.7g
- Carbohydrates: 33.8g
- Fiber: 0.3g
- Protein: 18.3g
- Cholesterol: 77mg
Keywords: Italian Orzo Pasta Salad
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Hi, I’m KJ!
Here you’ll find simple, delicious recipes for the home cook. I strive to make wholesome meals with easy-to-find ingredients that you feel comfortable making in your own kitchen—but I won’t shy away from a few indulgences! (I see you: butter, bacon, cookies!)
