This Italian Orzo Salad recipe is simple, yet packed with flavor thanks to fresh veggies, hearty salami, tender orzo pasta, and a combination of one of my favorite dressings and seasonings. An easy pasta salad to serve this spring and summer!
The Best Orzo Pasta Salad Recipe
My mom used to make this simple salad for me when I was a kid, and I’m so excited to share it with you all! It’s my go-to summer pasta salad that I bring to cookouts, family gatherings, or when I’m craving those bold Italian flavors.
Love These Italian Flavors?
If you love them as much as we do, you definitely need to try our Italian Chopped Salad!
What You Will Need
- orzo – A little pasta that disperses itself into every bite.
- black and green olives – Briny olives add a punch of flavor ranging from salty to mild to slightly sweet.
- english cucumber – Crisp cucumbers add a light and refreshing flavor throughout.
- cherry tomatoes – Juicy tomatoes add just the right amount of moisture and brightness. Grape tomatoes will work, but tend to have a thicker skin and are a bit less sweet than cherry tomatoes.
- pepperoncini – These provide just the right amount of spice and tang.
- salami – Pick your favorite variety.
- Zesty Italian Salad Dressing & McCormick Perfect Pinch – You can find these two ingredients at your local grocery store.
What Is Orzo Salad
There are so many orzo salad recipes out there, all made unique with different veggies, dressings, and flavor combinations. One of our other favorites is our Greek orzo salad which has slightly different flavors thanks to feta cheese, red onion, and homemade Greek vinaigrette. Orzo is also a main ingredient in a lot of our skillet meals like our blog favorites, parmesan chicken orzo or our sausage zucchini skillet + orzo recipe.
How To Make Orzo Pasta Salad
Start by cooking your orzo al dente according to the package instructions. You can also checkout this full tutorial on how to cook orzo for your next pasta salad.
Next, add the cooked orzo, olives, cucumber, tomatoes, pepperoncini and salami to a large bowl.
Then add the salad dressing and 2 tablespoons of the seasoning and toss to combine.
Now give it a taste and adjust the seasoning to fit your flavor preference.
Lastly, place this great side dish in a large serving bowl, garnish with some fresh parsley, and dig in!
Recipe FAQs
Place leftovers in an airtight container and store in your refrigerator for up to five days. This is one of those recipes that might even taste better the next day once all those flavors have a chance to soak into the orzo.
Feel free to play around with the ingredient amounts to fit your personal preferences.
Made this recipe and loved it?! We would love it if you would take a minute and leave a star rating and review – it is also helpful if you made any substitutions or changes to the recipe to share that as well. THANK YOU!
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Other Recipes You Might Like
- Zesty Italian Pasta Salad
- Homemade Italian Dressing
- Greek Orzo Pasta Salad
- Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad
- CousCous Salad
Italian Orzo Salad
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 16 servings 1x
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Italian-Inspired
Description
A light and refreshing orzo pasta salad recipe with classic Italian flavors! The perfect side dish for any cookout or summer meal!
Ingredients
- 12 oz uncooked orzo (reg. or gluten-free)
- 1/2 can large black olives, pitted (approx. 20 olives, sliced)
- 1/2 small jar green olives (approx. 20 olives, sliced)
- 1/2 medium English cucumber, sliced and quartered
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/4 cup pepperoncini, sliced
- 1/2 cup salami, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1/2 cup Zesty Italian Salad Dressing, more as needed
- 2–4 tablespoons McCormick Perfect Pinch – Salad Supreme, more as needed
Instructions
- Cook Orzo: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook orzo according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water.
- Combine: Add cooked orzo, black olives, green olives, cucumber, tomatoes, pepperocini and salami to a large bowl. Add salad dressing and 2 tablespoons of the Salad Supreme seasoning. Toss to combine.
- Taste: option to add another 1-2 tablespoons of the Salad Supreme, as desired (I like add closer to 3-4 tablespoons, but everyone is different).
- Serve: Garnish with fresh parsley and enjoy! If making ahead of time, you will need to add additional Zesty Italian Dressing to freshen up the salad as the pasta will absorb some of the liquid.
Notes
- Amounts: feel free to modify amounts here for the olives, cucumbers, etc. This is a super flexible recipe!
- Zesty Italian Dressing + Salad Supreme: this recipe comes straight from my childhood and this is always what my mom used, so I just didn’t want to mess with it here!
- Gluten-Free: use a gluten-free orzo.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 oz
- Calories: 144
- Sugar: 2.4 g
- Sodium: 180.2 mg
- Fat: 4.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 19.6 g
- Protein: 5.1 g
- Cholesterol: 12.9 mg
Kristin F says
This turned out awesome! Very light but also very flavorful, nothing overpowering. I actually totally forgot to add the salami (whoops) and we still inhaled it, with my husband taking a giant bowl of leftovers to work the next day. Definitely a keeper!
Bridget Montag says
Thank you so much! Glad to hear that you love it and thanks for leaving a review!
Cyndi says
This looks yummy. I do wonder if you can substitute something else for the orzo.