Italian Orzo Pasta Salad

This twist on a traditional Italian pasta salad is a sport changer. The orzo pasta provides this salad the proper chew and texture. Plus, it’s loaded with crisp veggies and a simple selfmade French dressing dressing.

Love orzo as a lot as we do? You then’ll love our Lemon Chicken and Orzo.

What’s nice about this salad is the dimensions 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 excellent. When you’re fearful a few 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 excellent crunch. This pasta salad and my Mediterranean Chickpea Salad have turn out to be 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. Cook dinner to al dente for a agency, chewy chew.
• Olives: the sliced black olives in a can are an incredible choice, or you could possibly go inexperienced.
• Mini Pepperonis: Simply swap for normal, sliced pepperoni or salami.
• Inexperienced Bell Pepper: Substitute with yellow or pink bell peppers for a sweeter taste.
• Pepperoncini: Provides an incredible crunch and tangy zip. You may additionally substitute with banana peppers.
• Cherry Tomatoes: Grape tomatoes additionally work, and you should utilize pink or yellow.
• Recent Mozzarella: Cubed recent mozzarella provides a pleasant tender texture to the salad. Nonetheless, you could possibly 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 dimensions of the opposite elements, however if you happen to’re not a fan, you’ll be able to simply swap with a distinct protein. We suggest grilled rooster, floor Italian sausage, or sliced salami as a substitute.

Veggies: We love a great crunch to our pasta salads. When you’re trying to load up with extra veggies, you could possibly add one other bell pepper (yellow and pink are sweeter), some chopped pink 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 measurement and texture.

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

Make-Forward Directions

This pasta salad is tremendous simple 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 night time earlier than and retailer within the fridge to sit back. Whenever you’re able to eat, all you’ve acquired to do is chop the veggies and toss all of it collectively in a giant bowl. Finished and finished!