Italian Orzo Pasta Salad

This twist on a traditional Italian pasta salad is a recreation changer. The orzo pasta offers this salad the proper chunk and texture. Plus, it’s loaded with crisp veggies and a straightforward selfmade French dressing dressing.

Love orzo as a lot as we do? Then you definitely’ll love our Lemon Chicken and Orzo.

What’s nice about this salad is the scale of every ingredient. The orzo pasta, mini pepperoni, and small items of mozzarella all match collectively on one spoon, providing you with the proper chunk. And the feel of this salad is just about good. In case you’re frightened a couple of soggy pasta salad, this isn’t that! Cooking the orzo pasta to al dente and mixing it with olives, peppers, and tomatoes makes this pasta salad gentle with that good crunch. This pasta salad and my Mediterranean Chickpea Salad have develop into my go-to for meal-prepping a fast and engaging lunch!

Ingredient Notes

• Orzo Pasta: This short-cut pasta resembles rice and is discovered within the pasta aisle at most grocery shops. Cook dinner to al dente for a agency, chewy chunk.
• Olives: the sliced black olives in a can are an ideal choice, or you might go inexperienced.
• Mini Pepperonis: Simply swap for normal, sliced pepperoni or salami.
• Inexperienced Bell Pepper: Substitute with yellow or purple bell peppers for a sweeter taste.
• Pepperoncini: Provides an ideal crunch and tangy zip. You would additionally substitute with banana peppers.
• Cherry Tomatoes: Grape tomatoes additionally work, and you should use purple or yellow.
• Recent Mozzarella: Cubed recent mozzarella offers a pleasant gentle texture to the salad. Nevertheless, you might all the time use these little mini mozzarella balls or shredded mozzarella as a substitute.
• Salad Dressing: You can also make your dressing with recent herbs over dried. You’ll wish to use one tablespoon of finely minced recent herbs for each teaspoon of dried herbs the recipe requires.

Non-compulsory Add-Ins

Meat: We love these mini pepperonis for a way properly they mix with the scale of the opposite substances, however if you happen to’re not a fan, you’ll be able to simply swap with a unique protein. We advocate grilled rooster, floor Italian sausage, or sliced salami as a substitute.

Veggies: We love an excellent crunch to our pasta salads. In case you’re trying to load up with extra veggies, you might add one other bell pepper (yellow and purple are sweeter), some chopped purple onion and zucchini, or perhaps a diced jalapeño for slightly kick of warmth

Beans: Add some extra substance to your salad! Beans are an effective way to make this pasta salad slightly extra hearty and filling. Garbanzo beans (chickpeas) pair properly with this salad for his or her measurement and texture.

Cheese: Be at liberty to make use of your favourite cheese. You should utilize mini mozzarella balls or shredded mozzarella as a substitute of chopped recent mozzarella to avoid wasting time. Parmesan can be an ideal various that might pair completely with the Italian flavors.

Make-Forward Directions

This pasta salad is tremendous simple to make forward. You possibly can whip up the dressing 1 to 2 days early and stash it within the fridge. Then prepare dinner the pasta the evening earlier than and retailer within the fridge to sit back. If you’re able to eat, all you’ve acquired to do is chop the veggies and toss all of it collectively in an enormous bowl. Finished and accomplished!