This Orzo Pasta Salad Recipe is a great easy pasta salad to bring to any spring or summer get together! This recipe mixes together orzo pasta, feta cheese, crisp summer vegetables, fresh herbs and is mixed with a light vinaigrette.

I find that during the summers, running the oven can add to the extra Texas heat, so often times we throw together a hearty pasta salad for our main dish. I use a recipe like this and just add summer sausage or chickpeas to the mix to give it some extra protein!

I also love to find creative ways to get my garden vegetables on the table! This orzo pasta salad recipe does the trick! The great thing is that it can also be the perfect side dish to any summer meal like these BBQ Drumsticks or Smoked Salmon.

I don’t know about you, but when it comes to summer entertaining I like to make things as easy as possible, with as little work to do as possible when my guests arrive—because let’s be real, we all really want to be outside enjoying the sunshine and weather! This recipe can also be easily made and mixed up the day before and left to chill in the fridge!

I often find pasta salads, like this Orzo Pasta Salad, is not only really easy to make, but it is always a huge hit with guests and kids! A win, win if you ask me!

You can adjust this recipe to your liking as well! Which, again, is another reason I love this is the ultimate pasta salad recipe! You can use any type of short cut pasta or even whole wheat pasta (just be sure to follow the cooking directions). Your dressings can also be modified to give more mediterranean flavors, or you can add fresh lemon juice for a lemony dressing flavor.

Orzo pasta is quick cooking, budget friendly, and can easily be found in the pasta aisle at any of your local grocery stores. There are tons of different types of cold orzo pasta salads you can try!

Other Types of Orzo Pasta Salads

Mediterranean Orzo Salad
Greek Orzo Pasta Salad
Lemony Orzo Pasta Salad

How to Make Orzo Pasta Salad

The process of making this pasta salad is actually so simple! The main work is probably chopping all the veggies, but this can easily be done ahead of time too! Once you have your water boiling for your pasta–I like to follow the directions on the back of the box–you can start dicing your vegetables.

feta cheese, chopped tomato, red onion and diced cucumber

After you have cooked, drained, and cooled your pasta, you can start assembling the salad together. I like to mix my dressing in bowl, so it is easy to whisk together. If I am making this pasta salad ahead of time, I like to toss my salad together with most of the dressing, and then store the rest of the dressing in a mason jar and mix the rest in right before I serve.

As you can see, this salad is super simple! This would also be a great recipe to let your younger kids help put together. Always be sure to monitor the dicing of vegetables or have those pre-chopped for them for easier assembly.

Once your salad is tossed you can refrigerate until it is ready to be served! Remember you can always add extras to your orzo pasta salad to make it to your liking! Enjoy!

Basic Ingredients Needed for the Orzo Pasta Salad

Orzo Pasta (cooked according to the package making sure the orzo cooks)
Cherry juicy tomatoes cut into halves
Red onion, finely chopped
Fresh basil leaves chopped
Crumbled feta cheese

Basic Ingredients Needed for the Dressing

Red wine vinegar
Salt
Honey
Avocado oil (you can always use a light extra-virgin olive oil if you don’t have avocado oil on hand)

Instructions

Cook the orzo according to the instructions on the package. I like to make sure I cook my pasta al dente. Once it has finished cooking, set aside and let it cool. Often times people rinse with cool water to help the pasta to not stick. Orzo is great because it doesn’t have a problem sticking to itself!
In a large bowl add the cooked orzo, crisp cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, red onion, basil leaves and feta cheese. Stir well until everything is mixed thoroughly. You can feel free to add larger amounts of veggies if desired!
In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients–I love the touch of sweet the honey adds!
Pour the dressing over the orzo salad and stir to combine.
Refrigerate until ready to serve. Optional: Sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese or black pepper

Additional Items to Add Next Time

Bell Peppers
Garbanzo Beans
Your choice of a type of pasta (I love bowtie as well!)
Fresh Vegetables
Goat Cheese
Pine Nuts
Briny Olives
Artichoke Hearts
Sweet Corn
Fresh Tomatoes
Summer Sausage
Fresh Parsley
Fresh Mint
Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Fresh Mozzarella (I like the small round balls, so you do not have to do any extra dicing!)

Other Summertime Favorite Side Dishes

We love our Mason Jar Cob Salads as a quick side dish! I think that warm weather also makes watermelon one of the best side dishes for a summer get together! However whipping up the classics like a quick potato salad, fruit salad, or another delicious pasta salad is always my go to!

What are some of your favorite summer side dishes to make or bring to summer gatherings? Please comment and share! I would love to add these to my list this summer!