This orzo pesto pasta salad is a crunchy, veggie-packed take on the classic. Tender orzo gets tossed with a simple nut-free basil pesto, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, and plenty of cucumber and bell pepper for extra bite. Ready in 20 minutes, it holds up beautifully for days and works as a side or a light meal.
Easy Orzo Pesto Pasta Salad At A Glance
- ✅ Recipe Name: Easy Orzo Pesto Salad (20 Minutes!)
- 🕒 Ready In: ~20 minutes (10 min prep, 10 min cook)
- 👪 Serves: 8
- 🍽 Calories: ~213 per serving
- 🥣 Main Ingredients: Orzo, basil pesto (homemade or store bought), cherry tomatoes, cucumber, yellow bell pepper, mini mozzarella balls
- 📖 Dietary Info: Vegetarian, nut-free, easily made gluten-free or vegan
- ⭐ Why You'll Love It: A fresh, crunchy orzo pesto salad ready in 20 minutes, loaded with veggies and easy to make gluten-free, vegan, or high-protein.
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This orzo pesto salad is on repeat in my kitchen all Summer, usually when the basil on my patio is taking over, and I need to use it up. What makes it different from most pesto pasta salads is the crunch. Cucumber and bell pepper keep it snappy instead of soft, and it actually holds that texture for days in the fridge.
The base is my basil pesto without pine nuts, though a good store-bought jar works just as well when you're short on time. Either way, one thing I've learned: cook the orzo just past al dente, then rinse it under cold water before it cools. Most recipes skip that step, and it's the difference between a fresh salad and a gummy one.
What keeps me coming back is how nourishing it is without feeling heavy. I love adding some grilled boneless chicken thighs or these grilled BBQ shrimp to carry me through a hard training day and keep me full. On its own, it's the fresh side I bring to every cookout.
Jump to:
- Easy Orzo Pesto Pasta Salad At A Glance
- Why You'll Love This Orzo Pesto Salad
- Ingredients You'll Need
- Substitutions & Variations
- How to Make Orzo Pesto Pasta Salad (Step-by-Step)
- Video Tutorial
- My Tips for the Best Orzo Salad
- How to Make It a High-Protein Meal
- What to Serve With Orzo Pesto Salad
- How to Store and Make It Ahead
- Orzo Pesto Salad FAQs
- More Pasta Salad Recipes You'll Love
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Why You'll Love This Orzo Pesto Salad
- Crunchy, not soggy: Cucumber and bell pepper give it real bite, so it stays crisp for days instead of going soft like most pesto pasta salads.
- Ready in about 20 minutes: Boil the orzo, chop a few veggies, toss, and done. It's an easy side for cookouts, lunches, or a quick weeknight dinner.
- Nut-free and allergy-friendly: Made with a nut-free basil pesto, so it's safe for most gatherings without sacrificing flavor.
- Easy to make a meal: Add grilled chicken, shrimp, or a scoop of chickpeas, and it goes from a side to a filling, protein-packed lunch.
- Better the next day: The flavors settle as it chills, which makes it ideal for meal prep and make-ahead entertaining.
- Endlessly customizable: Swap in feta, add arugula, make it gluten-free or vegan. The base takes well to almost anything.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Orzo: A small, rice-shaped pasta that's the base of the salad. It cooks in minutes and soaks up the pesto without getting heavy. If you love it, try it in my grilled shrimp orzo salad, too. Chickpea or gluten-free orzo both work if you need them.
- Basil pesto: The flavor backbone. Homemade keeps it fresh and allergy-friendly, but a good store-bought jar works when you're short on time.
- Cherry tomatoes: Sweet and juicy, and they hold their shape better than larger tomatoes once tossed. Grape tomatoes work too.
- Cucumber: For fresh crunch that lasts. English or Persian cucumbers are best here since they're less seedy and won't water down the salad.
- Yellow bell pepper: Adds sweetness and a crisp bite. Yellow, red, or orange all work, but skip green; it turns bitter against the pesto.
- Mini mozzarella balls: Soft, creamy pockets that balance the herby pesto. Swap in feta for tang, or plant-based mozzarella to keep it dairy-free.
See the recipe card below for exact measurements.
Substitutions & Variations
- Make it a Caprese orzo salad: For a classic Caprese version, leave out the cucumber and bell pepper, keeping only the cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil pesto. Simple, fresh, and exactly the tomato-mozzarella-basil combo caprese is known for.
- Add greens: Toss in a few handfuls of arugula or baby spinach for extra color and nutrition. Add it just before serving so it stays fresh and doesn't wilt.
- Add protein to make it a meal: I love adding grilled boneless skinless chicken thighs, salmon, shrimp, or steak, all of which turn this into a filling lunch or dinner.
- Make it gluten-free: Use gluten-free or chickpea-based orzo like Banza. Whole wheat orzo works as well.
- Make it dairy-free or vegan: Use a vegan pesto and swap the mozzarella for dairy-free cheese, or leave it off entirely.
- Try a different cheese: Crumbled feta or goat cheese both add a tangy twist in place of the mozzarella.
- Switch up the pesto: Sun-dried tomato pesto or arugula pesto each gives it a different character. Store-bought works in a pinch.
- Add olives or a kick: Kalamata or green olives bring a briny punch, and a pinch of red pepper flakes or diced jalapeño adds gentle heat.
How to Make Orzo Pesto Pasta Salad (Step-by-Step)
- Cook the orzo: Boil the orzo in salted water until just al dente, then drain and rinse under cold water until cool. This stops the cooking and keeps the salad from turning mushy.
- Make your pesto: Whip up a quick batch of nut-free basil pesto in about 5 minutes, or use your favorite store-bought pesto.
- Add everything to a bowl: Add the cooled orzo, cucumber, tomatoes, bell pepper, and mozzarella to a large bowl.
- Toss it together: Pour the pesto over the top and toss until everything is evenly coated. Chill for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Video Tutorial
My Tips for the Best Orzo Salad
- Don't skip the cold rinse: Rinsing the drained orzo under cold water is the single step that keeps it from clumping or going gummy as it chills. Most recipes skip it.
- Pat the orzo dry before tossing: A little surface water thins the pesto and waters down the flavor. Drain well, and pat dry so the pesto clings to every piece.
- Reserve a spoonful of pesto: The orzo soaks up dressing as it sits, so save a little pesto to toss in right before serving to freshen it back up.
- Make it ahead: This salad holds up well for up to a day, and the flavors only get better. Add any greens just before serving so they stay crisp.
How to Make It a High-Protein Meal
On its own, this orzo salad is a light side at about 9 grams of protein per serving. A few easy additions turn it into a filling, high-protein lunch or dinner:
- Grilled chicken: About 4 ounces adds roughly 30g of protein. Greek yogurt-marinated chicken or simple thin-sliced breasts both work well.
- Shrimp: Air fryer shrimp or oven-baked shrimp skewers add about 20g-25g per serving and keep the salad light and summery.
- Chickpeas or white beans: A scoop stirred in adds about 7g of protein plus fiber, and keeps it fully vegetarian. I love adding these crispy air fryer chickpeas.
- Mozzarella swap: Use a higher-protein cottage cheese blend or extra mozzarella for a few easy extra grams.
For meal prep, add the protein when you portion it out and keep any greens separate until serving so everything stays fresh through the week.
What to Serve With Orzo Pesto Salad
This salad is a natural side for almost anything off the grill, but it's flexible enough to round out a lighter meal, too. A few of my favorite pairings:
- Grilled proteins: Grilled Greek chicken skewers, salmon, or steak all balance the herby pesto beautifully.
- Burgers: It's a fresh, lighter alternative to potato salad and goes super well with these grilled turkey burgers and grilled bison burgers.
- Other Summer sides: Serve it alongside grilled corn and avocado salad or a watermelon feta salad for an easy spread.
How to Store and Make It Ahead
- Fridge: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Give it a quick toss before serving, since the orzo absorbs the pesto as it sits. If it looks a little dry after a day or two, stir in a spoonful of reserved pesto, a drizzle of olive oil, or a squeeze of lemon to bring it back to life.
- Make ahead: This salad is great prepped a day in advance, and the flavors only deepen overnight. For the freshest result, hold back a little pesto and toss it in just before serving. If you're using arugula or spinach, stir them in right before serving so they stay crisp instead of wilting in the fridge.
- Freezing: Skip it. The veggies and orzo turn mushy once thawed, so this one's best fresh.
Orzo Pesto Salad FAQs
Orzo is a small, rice-shaped pasta. It cooks in under 10 minutes and works especially well in cold salads because it holds dressing without getting heavy. You'll find it in the pasta aisle.
Cook the orzo just to al dente, then rinse it under cold water right after draining and pat it dry. Tossing cooled, dry orzo with the pesto keeps the texture firm and fresh.
Yes. Homemade keeps it freshest, but a good-quality store-bought jar works well when you're short on time. Look for one without added fillers, and add a squeeze of lemon to brighten it up.
For gluten-free, use chickpea-based orzo like Banza or any gluten-free orzo. You can also swap in another small pasta like ditalini, or even cooked quinoa for a grain-based version.
A caprese version keeps it simple with just tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil. This salad adds cucumber and bell pepper for extra crunch. To make it caprese, leave those two out.
Yes. Use a vegan pesto and either leave out the mozzarella or swap in a dairy-free cheese. Everything else in the salad is already plant-based.
More Pasta Salad Recipes You'll Love
If you loved this easy orzo pesto pasta salad, here are a few more easy pasta salad recipes worth making next:
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📖 Recipe
Orzo Pesto Pasta Salad
Video
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups uncooked orzo
- ½ - ⅔ cups basil pesto, or store-bought
- 1 medium English cucumber, cut into quarter moons
- 2 cups sweet cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 medium yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 cup mini pearl mozzarella balls, drained
- Optional: squeeze of fresh lemon, to brightenm
Instructions
- Cook the orzo: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the orzo until just al dente, then drain and rinse under cold water until fully cooled. Set aside.
- Make the pesto: Make a batch of nut-free basil pesto, or measure out ½-⅔ cup of store-bought pesto.
- Add to a bowl: Add the cooled orzo, tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, and mozzarella to a large bowl.
- Toss and chill: Pour the pesto over the top and toss until evenly coated. Add a squeeze of lemon if using. Chill at least 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe tested and developed by Tati Chermayeff, creator of Healthful Blondie. A former Division I rower, Ironman triathlete, and recipe developer based in Austin, TX, Tati creates high-protein and healthy recipes that actually taste like the real thing.
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