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Top down shot of bowl of orzo pasta salad with olives, tomatoes, cucumbers and salami with two spoons sticking out.

Italian Orzo Salad

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  • Author: Erin Jensen
  • 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

Scale
  • 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
  • 24 tablespoons McCormick Perfect Pinch Salad Supreme, more as needed

Instructions

  1. Cook Orzo: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook orzo according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water. 
  2. 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. 
  3. 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). 
  4. 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