Herby Italian Orzo Salad (great for parties & meal prep!)
Cheers to a spring filled with flavorful pasta salads that keep everyone coming back for seconds. Pasta salads get a bad rap for being gloppy and a little tasteless, so it has been my mission over the past few years to bring you fresh, beautiful, flavorful pasta salads that you can feel good about eating (and serving to guests!)
This herby Italian orzo salad is a delicious pasta take on my Italian Chopped Brussels Sprouts Salad and truly has everything you could ever want: fresh herbs and veggies, tender orzo pasta, salty feta cheese, and plenty of savory elements from olives and pepperoncini. One bite and you’ll truly be hooked.
Plus, it stays good for days in the fridge, making it perfect for meal prep!
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Ingredients in this Italian orzo salad
This gorgeous, herby Italian orzo salad is all about the delicious mix-ins. We’re packing in fresh veggies, plus lots of fun additions like pepperoncini and olives! Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
- Orzo: the base of this pasta salad is orzo! I love the little pasta shape and how easy it is to scoop it up with the rest of the ingredients.
- Veggies: we’re loading this orzo salad with cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, red bell pepper, and red onion.
- Mix-ins: here’s where the salad gets extra delicious. You’ll mix in kalamata olives, green olives, pepperoncini, and crumbled feta cheese for salty, savory goodness.
- Herbs: basil and parsley give this orzo salad a wonderful freshness. Don’t skip them!
- For the dressing: we’re making a light Italian dressing with olive oil, fresh lemon juice, garlic, dijon mustard, dried oregano, salt and pepper.
Wait, what are pepperoncini?
Although “pepperoncini” sounds like a mini pepperoni, it’s actually a type of pepper. Pepperoncini are yellow-green and look similar to banana peppers, but are thinner and often a bit spicier. You can usually find them jarred near olives at the grocery store!
If you’re sensitive to spice or aren’t a fan of banana peppers, feel free to omit the pepperoncini in this recipe.
Easy ways to customize
You can absolutely mix and match ingredients to make this Italian orzo salad your own! Here are some recommendations:
- Choose your pasta: I love using orzo for this recipe, but pearl couscous, bowties, or even fusilli would be great. If you want to get real wild, toss everything with your fav tortellini!
- Have fun with mix-ins: you can really get creative with the veggies and mix-ins here. Black olives, artichoke hearts, salami, cubed provolone, shaved parmesan, or even mozzarella pearls would all be delicious.
- Go gluten-free: simply use your favorite gluten-free orzo or pasta shape to keep the entire recipe gluten-free.
Looking for an extra boost of protein?
Add a can of rinsed, drained chickpeas or white beans to keep the salad vegetarian, or toss in cooked, cubed or shredded chicken! These would be perfect pairings with this salad:
Two ways to cook orzo
We’ve established that orzo is a variety of pasta, not rice, but you can actually cook it both ways!
- The pasta method: I typically cook orzo using this traditional pasta method. You’ll boil a large pot of water, add a pinch of salt, stir in orzo, and cook until al dente, about 6-8 minutes. Once orzo is done cooking, drain it and set it aside.
- The rice method: You can also cook it the same way you cook rice. In a pot, bring the orzo and double the amount of water to a boil, lower the heat, cover your pot, and let the orzo simmer until all of the liquid is absorbed.
Make this orzo salad ahead of time
Probably what I love most about pasta salads is that they’re SO easy to prep ahead of time! A few days ahead of time, you can either:
- Prep the ingredients: Chop up all of your veggies, cook your pasta, and make your dressing, then store everything in separate containers in the refrigerator until you’re ready to assemble it.
- OR make the full salad: toss everything together (dressing included) and store it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to enjoy it! This is my preferred method when I’m planning to serve guests the next day.
Storing tips
Store any leftover Italian orzo salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Enjoy straight from the fridge!
More salad recipes you’ll love
Get all of my salad recipes here!
I hope you love this herby Italian orzo salad! If you make it be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!
The
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Herby Olive Italian Orzo Salad
by
Beautiful herby Italian orzo salad filled with crunchy veggies, savory olives, and delicious feta cheese. Everything gets tossed in a light homemade Italian dressing for the perfect warm-weather lunch or dinner that’s easy to customize. Bring this fresh Italian orzo salad to your next BBQ!
Ingredients
- For the dressing:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- For the salad:
- 10 ounces orzo*
- 1 ½ cups halved cherry or grape tomatoes (we love heirloom cherry tomatoes)
- 2 persian cucumbers, sliced and quartered (or 1 cucumber, sliced and quartered)
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- ½ cup pitted chopped or sliced kalamata olives
- ½ cup pitted chopped or sliced green olives
- ⅓ cup sliced pepperoncini
- ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion
- ½ cup feta crumbles
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh basil
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
-
First make the dressing: whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, dijon, oregano and salt and pepper in a small bowl until well combined. You can also add them all to a mason jar, add the lid and then shake until well combined.
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Next cook your pasta until al dente according to the directions on the package. Once done cooking, drain and add to a large bowl.
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Add the tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, kalamata olives, green olives, pepperoncinis, red onion, feta, basil and parsley to the bowl with the pasta. Pour dressing over the top and toss together until combined. Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
*To make gluten-free: use a gluten-free orzo or your favorite gluten-free pasta!
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving (based on 6)Calories: 359calCarbohydrates: 41.6gProtein: 8.9gFat: 18.3gSaturated Fat: 3.8gFiber: 3.6gSugar: 3.3g
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
This post was originally published on June 20th, 2022, and republished on April 22nd, 2026.
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