Orzo pasta salad with nine sauteed vegetables, dressed hot in a Dijon vinaigrette of olive oil, vinegar, and mustard. A side dish that improves overnight.
Most pasta salads fail because the pasta absorbs all the dressing and goes bland within an hour. Orzo is different. You cook it to very al dente, dress it while it is still hot, and it holds flavor in a way that penne or fusilli never will. This version loads in onion, shallots, garlic, carrot, celery, red pepper, green pepper, fennel, and zucchini, all diced to the size of the orzo, then sauteed in 3 tablespoons of olive oil.
The vinaigrette is 3 parts extra virgin olive oil to 2 parts vinegar (white wine or sherry), with a teaspoon of Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. Dress the hot pasta with about 80 ml (1/3 cup) of vinaigrette first, then toss with the vegetables and a generous amount of minced fresh herbs. This is a side dish that improves as it sits — make it the night before and it’s genuinely better.
Tips for a Better Orzo Salad
Dice everything to the same size as the orzo
Cut the carrot, celery, red pepper, green pepper, fennel, and zucchini into pieces roughly the size of the orzo grains. This takes patience, but it means every forkful has a bit of everything.
Uniform size also ensures the vegetables cook evenly when you saute them. Larger chunks will be raw in the center while the small pieces overcook. Match the orzo and the salad works.
Dress the pasta while it is hot
Hot orzo absorbs the vinaigrette into its starch. If you wait until it cools, the dressing just sits on the surface. Pour the first 80 ml (1/3 cup) of vinaigrette onto the drained, rinsed pasta immediately.
Taste after 10 minutes and add more dressing if needed. The pasta will continue to absorb liquid as it cools, so do not be shy. You can always adjust with more olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper.
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Vegetable Orzo Salad
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: Serves 6
Description
A delightful orzo pasta salad with sautéed vegetables and a tangy vinaigrette, perfect for a summer gathering.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 lb orzo pasta
- 1 onion, minced
- 2–3 shallots
- 2–3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 carrot, diced about the size of the orzo
- 1 celery, diced about the size of the orzo
- 1 red pepper, diced about the size of the orzo
- 1 green or yellow pepper, diced about the size of the orzo
- 1 fennel, minced
- 1 zucchini, minced
- 15 T extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 8 T vinegar – white wine, sherry, etc.
- 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
- Herbs
- Salt & Pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cut the vegetables into pieces about the size of the orzo.
- Sauté the vegetables in 3 T of olive oil until just past crisp.
- Mince a healthy bunch of herbs.
- Cook the orzo pasta in well-salted boiling water until very al dente.
- Drain and rinse the pasta with hot water.
- Prepare a vinaigrette with 3 parts olive oil, 2 parts vinegar, a little mustard, salt, and pepper.
- Dress the hot pasta with 1/3 cup of the vinaigrette.
- Toss the dressed pasta with the sautéed vegetables and herbs.
- Adjust seasoning with more dressing, salt, and pepper if needed.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate and bring to room temperature before serving.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 4
- Sodium: 300
- Fat: 15
- Carbohydrates: 50
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 8
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this a day ahead?
Yes. The salad keeps well in the fridge and actually tastes better the next day. Bring it to room temperature before serving and adjust the seasoning. You may need a splash more vinegar.
What herbs work best?
Parsley, basil, and dill are all good choices. Use a generous amount. The herbs should be visible throughout the salad, not a garnish. Chop them fine so they distribute evenly.
Can I add protein to this?
Grilled chicken, shrimp, or crumbled feta cheese all work. Add them after the salad is dressed and cooled. Hot protein on cold salad wilts the vegetables and changes the texture.