This easy Orzo Pasta Salad is perfect if you are looking for something to bring to a summer picnic. It comes together with really simple ingredients. This pasta salad would make the best side for so many recipes. You could also add some chicken or tuna to make it a healthy lunch!
Orzo: Read below to learn more about this fantastic pasta. Garbanzo Beans: I love the extra texture and protein that they bring to this salad. Make sure that they are washed and drained well before adding them. Seedless Cucumber: These are typically sold wrapped in plastic and are often labeled “English Cucumber.” Generally speaking they bring a little less water to a salad, so they are my preference, but any cucumber will work. Cherry Tomatoes: Using cherry tomatoes makes it really easy to keep all the ingredients a uniform size. Red Bell Pepper: This brings extra veggies to the party as well as a little sweetness and a great crunch. Kalamata Olives: These are one of my favorite parts of the salad. If you absolutely cannot do olives, you may need to tweak the recipe at the end because you will be missing some salt. Feta Cheese: This adds the perfect flavor to the recipe. You can use low fat feta. If you plan on leaving it out, like with the olives, you will want to tweak the recipe at the end, likely adding more salt. Fresh Parsley: This adds so much brightness and a great pop of flavor to the recipe. Read below for more information on storing parsley. Olive Oil: If you have it, I recommend using extra virgin olive oil for this recipe. The lightness and flavor is perfect for a salad dressing. Red Wine Vinegar: Red Wine is made from red wine, and is a great source of flavor in Mediterranean cooking. This recipe hasn’t been tested with other vinegars, but if I were to try a different one, I would grab my Balsamic Vinegar first.
Bring the water to a roaring boil. This is a really easy mistake to make, but you want the water to be at a roaring boil before the pasta hits it. We are talking really big bubbles. Salt the water. Adding a little kosher salt to your pasta water can help pull together the whole recipe. Cook it for the the length of the time indicated on the box. I always set a timer when I cook my pasta. This is an easy way to make sure it is el dente. Rinse with cold water after cooking and draining. In general, this is a no-no for pasta. However, because the orzo is going in a cold pasta salad, I like to do this to cool it down and to stop it from cooking.
To store parsley, refer to the following steps after coming home with a bunch of fresh parsley.
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Leftovers of this great pasta salad can be stored for up to four days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. As always, use your best discretion when it comes to serving leftovers.
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If you make this Orzo Pasta Salad recipe or any of my other recipes, please leave me a comment and let me know what you think.
