Italian Orzo Pasta Salad

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

Love orzo as a lot as we do? Then you definately’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 chew. And the feel of this salad is just about good. When you’re anxious 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 turn into my go-to for meal-prepping a fast and attractive lunch!

Ingredient Notes

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

Non-obligatory Add-Ins

Meat: We love these mini pepperonis for a way effectively they mix with the scale of the opposite components, however in the event you’re not a fan, you may simply swap with a unique protein. We suggest grilled rooster, floor Italian sausage, or sliced salami as a substitute.

Veggies: We love crunch to our pasta salads. When you’re trying to load up with extra veggies, you possibly can add one other bell pepper (yellow and crimson are sweeter), some chopped crimson onion and zucchini, or perhaps a diced jalapeño for just a little kick of warmth

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

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

Make-Forward Directions

This pasta salad is tremendous straightforward 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. Whenever you’re able to eat, all you’ve bought to do is chop the veggies and toss all of it collectively in an enormous bowl. Achieved and carried out!