Easy Orzo Pasta Salad is a light, healthy side dish that you can make for dinner or a backyard barbecue. Orzo, tomatoes, olives and cucumber are tossed in Italian dressing making this a quick and easy salad!
Pasta salad just screams “summer” to me – it’s so bright, colorful and fresh. Every time I make it, it comes out a little different because I throw in whatever I can find in the kitchen. This time, I was a little more deliberate in creating an easy, Mediterranean inspired pasta salad. I think you’re going to love it!
Who says we can’t have our cake and eat it to? The best thing about this Orzo Pasta Salad is that it’s packed with veggies – cucumber, tomatoes, olives and onion. By the way, Austin says he doesn’t like olives but he crushed this pasta salad. Any who… you can practically throw in anything but the kitchen sink for this recipe. Some other great additions would be artichoke hearts, spinach and sun-dried tomatoes.
I served this pasta salad as a side on Memorial Day with hot dogs, baked beans and grilled corn. You can serve it as a side or you can certainly make it a meal by adding grilled chicken, shrimp or steak. Plus, this pasta salad is even better the next day after the orzo has soaked up all that wonderful Italian dressing. It makes for a great bag lunch.
Check out the recipe and comment below with your thoughts! If you like this recipe, you may also like my Southern Broccoli Pasta Salad. It’s one from the archives 😉
Kelsey Renee
Easy Orzo Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup orzo pasta (dry)
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 small cucumber (quartered and sliced)
- 1/2 dry pint grape tomatoes (halved)
- 1/4 red onion (sliced)
- 1 can (2.25 ounces) sliced olives
- 1/3 cup feta cheese (crumbled)
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 1/4 cup zesty Italian dressing
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- 1. Prepare orzo according to package directions. Drain well and pour into medium bowl. Toss in olive oil. Set aside until cool.
- 2. Cut all veggies according to ingredients list.
- 3. Add cucumber, tomtatoes, onion, olives, Italian dressing, salt and pepper to orzo. Toss to combine.
- 4. Carefully toss in parsley and feta cheese.
- 5. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
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