Orzo Pesto Salad
This simple and delicious orzo pesto salad is perfect for your next summer BBQ. With just a handful of ingredients, this easy side dish is full of flavor.
Cold pasta salads are a favorite side dish for any summer cookout. They are a great meal prep option for work lunches, or to pack in your kiddo’s lunchbox. This orzo pesto pasta salad is full of fresh flavors that are perfect for the summer months. Made with just a handful of ingredients, like basil pesto, juicy cherry tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, and fresh mozzarella pearls, this simple orzo pesto salad recipe is easy and delicious. Serve this with pesto butter salmon or a rotisserie chicken for a perfect weeknight meal that your whole family will love.
For other simple summer salad recipes, try my arugula burrata salad with balsamic glaze, or this delicious blackened chicken caesar salad.
You Will Love This
- This easy pesto orzo pasta salad can be made with homemade pesto or store-bought pesto sauce for a quick and simple dish.
- This pesto orzo salad recipe is a great use for your summer garden veggies! It’s delicious with summer-sweet tomatoes and crispy cucumbers. It would be equally tasty with small pieces of bell pepper, fresh baby spinach or cut-up cooked green beans. Use whatever fresh veggies you have on hand!
- This pasta salad can be eaten warm or cold.
Ingredients
To make orzo pesto salad, you will need the following simple ingredients Exact measurements are in the recipe card below.
Ingredient Notes
- Cooked orzo pasta: I love orzo pasta in this recipe, but any small pasta shapes will work. Farfalle (the bowties), fusilli (small corkscrews) or penne pasta would be great!
- Basil pesto: I used homemade basil pesto, following my favorite pesto recipe. Substitute store-bought pesto for a simple weeknight dish!
- Sweet cherry or grape tomatoes: I halved whole cherry tomatoes for this recipe to make them more bite-sized.
- Seedless cucumbers: English or Persian cucumbers work perfectly.
- Fresh mozzarella pearls: You could substitute feta cheese or even Parmesan cheese.
- Optional: Kalamata olives or toasted pine nuts would be a yummy garnish!
Instructions
Step One: Put a large pot of water on the stove top over medium-high heat. Add a big pinch of salt to the water and bring it to a boil. Add the orzo pasta and cook according to package directions, until the pasta is al dente. When the pasta is al dente, drain it, reserving about 1/4 cup of the pasta water.
Step Two: While the orzo cooks, prepare the vegetables. Wash and halve the fresh tomatoes and slice the cucumbers into small bite-sized pieces.
Step Three: Add the cooked orzo to a large bowl and toss it with the extra virgin olive oil. This will help to keep the pasta from clumping. Drizzle the pesto over the pasta and stir well to combine. If needed, add pasta water 1 tablespoon at a time to help bring the pasta and pesto sauce together. Discard any unused pasta water.
Step Four: Add the tomatoes, cucumbers and cheese to the pasta salad. Toss well to mix all the ingredients.
Step Five: Top the pasta salad with fresh basil, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Top Tip: Make sure to season this pasta salad to taste with salt and pepper after mixing all the ingredients together. I added about 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper to my pasta salad at the end. You may want to add more salt (maybe up to 1 teaspoon), depending on the brand of pesto you use!
Storage
This pasta salad is great to prep ahead! Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. Let it come up to room temperature for a few minutes before serving, so the pasta doesn’t stick together.
Orzo Pesto Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups dried orzo pasta one pound box
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 6 ounces basil pesto homemade or store bought
- 8 ounces cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 Persian cucumber sliced
- 8 ounces mozzarella pearls
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper or more to taste
- 6 fresh basil leaves optional (for garnish)
Instructions
- Put a large pot of water on the stove top over medium-high heat. Add a big pinch of salt to the water and bring it to a boil. Add the orzo pasta and cook according to package directions, until the pasta is al dente. When the pasta is al dente, drain it, reserving about 1/4 cup of the pasta water.
- While the orzo cooks, prepare the vegetables. Wash and halve the fresh tomatoes and slice the cucumbers into small bite-sized pieces.
- Add the cooked orzo to a large bowl and toss it with the extra virgin olive oil. This will help to keep the pasta from clumping. Drizzle the pesto over the pasta and stir well to combine. If needed, add pasta water 1 tablespoon at a time to help bring the pasta and pesto sauce together. Discard any unused pasta water.
- Add the tomatoes, cucumbers and cheese to the pasta salad. Toss well to mix all the ingredients.
- Top the pasta salad with fresh basil, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
