A flavorful orzo pasta salad recipe made with artichoke hearts, tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, and feta cheese tossed in a simple vinaigrette dressing.
I LOVE a good pasta salad recipe. It's always a summer staple for me to go along with grilled meats. If you've never tried orzo, it's a great noodle cut for pasta salad. I love the size and texture of orzo in a salad. It doesn't overwhelm the vegetables. You end up with the perfect blend of ingredients in each bite.
How To Make Orzo Pasta Salad
Ingredients You'll Need:
- Uncooked orzo pasta
- Artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Red wine vinegar
- Dijon mustard
- Fresh vegetables: bell pepper, grape tomatoes, and sweet Vidalia onion
- Feta cheese
- Spices: Garlic powder, oregano, fresh basil, onion powder, salt, and pepper
Recipe Steps
Step 1. Cook the orzo pasta according to package directions. I usually do 9 minutes for al dente. Drain the pasta in a colander, rinse with cold water until completely cool and drain again. Pour drained pasta into a large bowl and set aside.
Step 2. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, herbs, and spices. Add chopped artichokes, tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, and feta cheese to the orzo.
Step 3. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.
Step 4. Garnish with fresh chopped basil, if desired. Serve immediately.
What To Serve With Pasta Salad
I love making a meal out of this pasta salad and adding a grilled chicken breast on top. It's also a great side dish for steak, burgers, soups, and sandwiches. This pasta salad recipe is perfect to pack for picnics or potlucks in the summertime.
How To Store Pasta Salad
Store pasta salad in a sealed container in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Pasta salad will keep up to five days in the refrigerator. It's always better the second day when the flavors have had time to mingle.
If you love simple cold side dishes you should also check out this fresh zucchini salad, spicy cucumber salad, and my favorite broccoli salad recipe.
Mediterranean Orzo Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 8 oz orzo pasta
- 14 oz can artichoke hearts chopped
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried basil or 1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil (and extra for garnish)
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 bell pepper finely chopped
- ½ cup grape tomatoes halved
- ½ sweet Vidalia onion finely chopped
- 2 oz feta cheese
Instructions
- Cook the orzo pasta according to package directions. I usually do 9 minutes for al dente.
- Drain the pasta in a colander, rinse with cold water until completely cool and drain again.
- Pour drained pasta into a large bowl and set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, herbs and spices.
- Add chopped artichokes, tomatoes, onion, bell pepper and feta cheese to the orzo. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Garnish with fresh chopped basil, if desired.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate in a sealed container until ready to eat.
Nutrition
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