Ready in under 30 minutes, this Orzo Pesto Pasta Salad is satisfying and easy to make for your next barbecue! Creamy mozzarella, salty olives, and sweet tomatoes are all mixed with lemon and pesto for this Mediterranean inspired salad.
Pesto is one of my favorite condiments to have in my pantry. It's versatile and packed full of flavor! I love making my pesto pasta salad with it too!
This is a crowd-pleasing recipe that is a fan favorite in my house. I love making it a day or two in advance, letting it hang out in the refrigeration, and then serving it really cold at a barbecue or even for dinner!
Make sure to check out all the recipes to serve with pasta salad too!
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Ingredients in Orzo Pesto Pasta Salad
Be sure to check out the printable recipe card for full recipe information on ingredients and quantities.
Pesto- Use your favorite pesto. Some pesto sauces are thicker than others, so you may need to add pesto to the pasta to coat the salad completely.
Kalamata olives- Kalamata olives are much more salty than regular black olives and they give a delicious Mediterranean inspired flavor.
Mozzarella- Normally in orzo salads you would add feta, but I think the mozzarella adds a bit of creaminess to the salad that you can't get from other cheeses. Use fresh mozzarella or a brick of mozzarella. I would avoid using shredded as it will just disappear into the salad.
Tomatoes- Cherry tomatoes add a sweet burst of flavor into this salad. If you did not have cherry tomatoes, you could cut up a plum tomato or a larger tomato into chunks.
Spinach- Spinach adds some extra nutrition to this salad. To add some spice, you could use arugula instead of spinach. Make sure to use fresh spinach since we are not cooking this salad. Frozen spinach would not work in this salad.
How To Make This Orzo Pesto Pasta Salad
Step 1: Bring a pot of water to a boil and add salt. Cook the orzo according to package instructions. Once the orzo is cooked, drain it in a strainer, and run it under cold water.
Step 2: Chop the fresh spinach, mozzarella, tomatoes, olives, and red onion into small pieces. Add them to a large bowl.
Step 3: Add the cooled orzo to the bowl and top with the lemon, olive oil, and pesto.
Step 4: Combine all the ingredients together and season with salt and pepper. Adjust the pesto at this point if you feel there is not enough.
Variations
- There are so many different variations of this recipe that would be delicious!
- Use sun dried tomatoes instead of cherry tomatoes.
- Instead of mozzarella, use crumbled or chunked feta.
- Add chopped artichoke hearts to the salad.
- If you do not have orzo, use your favorite shape of pasta. These ingredients will work for any shape of pasta.
- To make this gluten free, feel free to use your favorite gluten free pasta.
- Add garbanzo beans, cooked shrimp, or grilled chicken to make this side dish a full, Summer dinner.
- Use your favorite pesto sauce, which could be kale pesto, walnut pesto, or even pesto rosso. You could even make your own pesto. Instant Pot Chicken Pesto Pasta has my favorite homemade recipe!
- A simple dinner, pesto pasta is a dinner your family will love!
Storage Information
You can make this recipe a few hours before you need it and then leave it in the refrigerator. Serve it room temperature or cold straight from the refrigerator. It will keep in the refrigerator for 2-3 days in an air tight container. This salad also travels well because you do not need to keep it refrigerated at all times. It would be a great salad to bring to a picnic or a barbecue.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Do not add the cheese to the recipe, or add your favorite vegan cheese. Make sure the pesto does not have any dairy products in it, and this pasta salad becomes a delicious vegan salad!
Yes! You can use whole wheat orzo or any of your favorite type of pasta.
Yes! You'll want about ½ to ¾ cup of pesto depending on how much pesto you like in your salad.
Other Recipes to Try
Did you give this Orzo Pesto Pasta Salad a try? I’d love to hear from you! Give me a shout on Instagram or Facebook and share this recipe on Pinterest! And don't forget to check out some other drool worthy recipes below! Thanks for sharing this journey with me and enjoy these delicious recipes!
- 3 Ingredient Instant Pot Strawberry Jam
- Orzo Cacio e Pepe
- Instant Pot Pulled BBQ Chicken
- Chicken Burgers with Feta and Spinach
- 3 Ingredient Pretzel Bites
📖 Recipe
Orzo Pesto Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound Orzo Pasta
- 2 cups Spinach Chopped
- 2 cups Cherry Tomatoes Chopped
- 1 cup Fresh Mozzarella Chopped
- 1 ½ cups Kalamata Olives Chopped
- 1 Red Onion Chopped
- ½ cup Pesto
- 1 Lemon
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper To Taste
Instructions
- Cook orzo according to package instructions. Once the orzo is done cooking, drain, and run the strainer with the orzo under cold water to stop the cooking process. Set the pasta aside.
- Chop the spinach, tomatoes, mozzarella, red onion, and olives. Place them in a large bowl.
- Add the cooled orzo to the bowl.
- Top with the pesto (see notes), lemon, and olive oil and mix everything together. Season with salt and pepper. Enjoy!
Notes
- Each type of pesto has a different ratio of olive oil which makes some thicker than others. Feel free to add more pesto if you feel the pesto is thicker than mine. Add more a tablespoon at a time, mix, and add more if necessary.
Kathie Vidmar says
WOW! So delicious! It made a lot.Which was good,because everyone kept coming back for more!!
Next time I will try adding leftover rotisserie chicken.