Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: Fresh and flavorful, this bruschetta orzo pasta salad is going to be a summertime favorite! Bonus: It isn’t made with mayonnaise or yogurt so it’s a safe choice for warm-weather picnics.
How long it takes: 25 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: pasta pan, large mixing bowl
Servings: 16
Bruschetta Orzo Pasta Salad
All the best flavors of summer. With lots of fresh vine-ripened tomatoes, leafy green basil, and shredded Parmesan cheese, this pasta salad is simple summer perfection. If you’re a fan of Caprese, you’ll love this salad (be sure to try my Caprese pasta salad, Caprese couscous stuffed tomatoes, and hot Caprese dip, too). The dressing is a vinaigrette, with no mayonnaise, which keeps it light and flavorful.
Easy to make. This orzo salad is a snap to make. You can have it ready in about a half hour. It can be served immediately or you can refrigerate it to serve later.
Popular for entertaining. This salad has wide appeal. Most everyone loves tomato bruschetta and this bruschetta orzo pasta salad is no different. It’s perfect for potlucks or picnics because the dressing is a simple vinaigrette which holds up well to summer temperatures.
A meal prepper’s dream. Bruschetta orzo pasta salad keeps well in the refrigerator for up to five days, which makes it ideal for easy lunches all week long. I even enjoy it alongside my scrambled eggs for breakfast.
Ingredient Notes
- Orzo: This pasta is sometimes confused with rice because of its small grain-like shape. In my opinion, orzo is the perfect pasta for salads because you always get a wonderful bite of pasta with all the other ingredients, unlike a bigger pasta shape where you might just get a bite of pasta and nothing else.
- Fresh tomatoes: Use a combination of vine-ripened tomatoes. Look for a variety of colorful tomatoes for a really pretty salad. The better-tasting your tomatoes are, the better-tasting your salad will be.
- Red onion & minced garlic: These two savories enhance the flavor of the salad.
- Vinaigrette: Use a good quality extra virgin olive oil for this salad because it will really shine. White balsamic vinegar adds tangy flavor with a hint of sweetness. The dressing is seasoned simply with salt and pepper.
- Shredded Parmesan cheese: Freshly shredded Parmesan cheese is more flavorful but you can certainly buy pre-shredded if you prefer. Avoid grated Parmesan which is too powdery for this salad.
- Fresh basil: This is essential to the bruschetta salad. I usually add it right before serving the salad since basil tends to turn brown once it’s sliced.
How To Make Orzo Salad
Cook pasta. Begin by cooking the orzo. Drain it, rinse it with cold water, and drain it again. This process stops the pasta from continuing to cook from residual heat. Drain it really well; you don’t want to water down your salad.
Marinate tomatoes in dressing. While the pasta is cooking, mix together chopped tomatoes, finely minced onion, garlic, white balsamic vinegar, GOOD olive oil, salt and pepper. Let the tomatoes marinate awhile, allowing all the great flavors to soak into the tomatoes (similar to my marinated tomatoes recipe).
Combine. Fold the tomato bruschetta mixture into the cooled pasta. Garnish the salad with lots of fresh basil and shredded Parmesan cheese.
Prep the salad a day before you plan on serving it, and refrigerate it. It keeps well for up to five days. Since the pasta continues to absorb the dressing even when refrigerated, the orzo salad does tend to get a bit drier. If you’re planning on storing the salad, I would make extra dressing to add when you serve it.
More Orzo Salad Recipes
More Orzo Love
Soup: Orzo is an ideal pasta to add to soup because you get a little bit in each bite, and there are no long noodles to slurp! Try my easy meatball soup or lemon chicken orzo soup.
One pan pasta: One of my favorite recipes is vegetarian orzo with sun-dried tomatoes and spinach. The orzo cooks right in the sauce so you don’t have an extra pan to wash. Flavorful Greek baked orzo with shrimp is another delicious option!
More Pasta Salad Recipes
- Grilled Ratatouille Pasta Salad
- Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad
- Tortellini Pasta Salad
- Ranch Pasta Salad
- Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
- Crab Pasta Salad
- Greek Pasta Salad
- My complete list of pasta salads!
Bruschetta Orzo Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 box (16 ounces) orzo, uncooked
- 3 cups diced fresh tomatoes (any variety, or a combination)
- 2 tablespoons finely minced red onion
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil (see note)
- 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar (see note)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ cup minced fresh basil
- 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook orzo to al dente according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.1 box (16 ounces) orzo, uncooked
- Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine tomatoes, onion, garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Stir to combine, cover, and set aside for 15 minutes to marinate tomatoes.3 cups diced fresh tomatoes, 2 tablespoons finely minced red onion, 1 clove garlic, minced, ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Mix together cooked pasta and tomato mixture until all ingredients are combined. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve.
- To serve, add basil and Parmesan cheese; stir to combine.½ cup minced fresh basil, 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Notes
- Ingredient recommendations: Traditional dark balsamic vinegar will change the color of this salad, so I recommend using white balsamic vinegar. Using good quality extra virgin olive oil will elevate this orzo pasta salad from pretty good to outstanding. Use the best tasting tomatoes you can find, preferable vine-ripened heirloom tomatoes.
- Pro tip: Soak the minced onions in ice water before adding them to the salad. It’s optional, but it does make them taste milder. Drain the soaked onions well, using a paper towel to remove excess moisture before adding them to the salad.
- Make it a main dish salad: Add sliced grilled chicken to the salad (try this Italian marinade), or cooked shrimp. For a vegetarian meal, add fresh mozzarella or cannellini beans.
- Make ahead/storage: Refrigerate salad in a covered container for up to five days. If I’m making it ahead, I hold off on adding the basil and Parmesan until ready to serve. If the salad seems dry (the pasta will continue to absorb the dressing), mix up additional dressing to add.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!
Delicious recipe. Can you freeze the leftovers?
I haven’t tried freezing this. I think it would be okay, but the texture of the tomatoes would change a bit and it would probably need a little oil/vinegar to freshen it up after thawing.
Could you half this recipe?
Definitely!
I have white lime balsamic vinegar ,,, yes or no?
I personally don’t think the lime would be great in this recipe. I’d use regular balsamic before I’d use the lime.
Absolutely love it. Light and refreshing change from the traditional macaroni salad. Only one thing. I see it is 16 servings. What size servings?
About 2/3 cup – it’s definitely more of a sode serving. If you wanted to serve it as a main with grilled chicken or salmon, I would anticipate it serving around 8 people. I hope that helps!
Wow! I loved this salad! So fresh and summery tasting.
So happy to hear it! It’s one of my summer go-to salads. Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
Could one use a good brand of canned diced tomatoes? In the winter the tomatoes are awful.
I haven’t tested that…and it would obviously change the recipe quite a bit, but I think it would still be tasty!
Thank you
You’re absolutely welcome!