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Orzo Pesto Pasta Salad

Casey Rooney
This simple orzo pesto pasta salad recipe is made with just a handful of ingredients, like pesto, juicy cherry tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, and fresh mozzarella pearls. It's easy and delicious! Serve this pasta salad up with a nice grilled steak or baked chicken for a perfect weeknight meal that your whole family will love.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Salad
Cuisine American, Italian, Mediterranean
Servings 8

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups dried orzo pasta 12-16 oz. box
  • 6-8 oz. pesto homemade or store-bought (my favorite pesto recipe)
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved Heirloom cherry tomatoes or multi-colored tomatoes look so pretty!
  • 1-2 cups English or Persian cucumber, chopped
  • 1-2 tsp. olive oil
  • 8 oz. mozzarella pearls Mozzarella pearls typically come in an 8 oz. container. It's roughly about 2 cups. If you get the bigger "bocconcini", just half or quarter them.
  • 1/2 tsp. coarse salt (sea salt, kosher salt) more to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper optional, to taste
  • fresh basil leaves for garnish, chopped optional

Instructions
 

  • Cook orzo: Put a large pot of water on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add a big pinch of salt to the water and bring it to a boil. Add the orzo pasta and cook according to package directions, until the pasta is al dente (typically about 8 minutes). When the pasta is al dente, drain it, reserving about 1/4 cup of the pasta water.
  • Prep veggies: While the orzo cooks, prepare the vegetables. Wash and halve the fresh tomatoes and slice the cucumbers into small bite-sized pieces. Halve the mozzarella balls, if needed.
  • Add: Add the cooked orzo to a large bowl and toss it with the olive oil. This will help to keep the pasta from clumping. Drizzle the pesto over the pasta and stir well to combine. If needed, add pasta water 1 tablespoon at a time to help bring the pasta and pesto sauce together. Discard any unused pasta water.
  • Finish: Add the tomatoes, cucumbers, and cheese to the pasta salad. Toss well to mix all the ingredients. Top the pasta salad with fresh basil (optional), and season with salt and pepper to taste.
    I love serving this orzo salad at room temperature, but you can make it ahead and refrigerate it. Pull it out of the fridge about 30 minutes before you're ready to serve it.

Notes

Casey's Tips

  • Use good pesto: Homemade or a high-quality store-bought pesto makes a big difference in flavor. Since there are so few ingredients in this recipe, every ingredient needs to shine!
  • Leftovers: I like to reserve a bit of the pesto to mix into any leftovers to freshen it up a bit. A squeeze or two of lemon juice or a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil also works well.
  • Storage: This salad is great stored in the fridge in an airtight container for 2-3 days.