This orzo salad with pesto is easy to make with 7 main ingredients, and in only about 20 minutes! It's filled to the brim with fresh flavors from tomatoes, cucumbers, and torn basil. A pop of lemon brightens the flavor of the pesto and brings a summery note to this delicious pasta salad.
We can all agree that pesto is amazing, right? The combination of fresh basil leaves, garlic, pine nuts (sometimes!), Parmesan cheese and olive oil is so rich, aromatic, and intensely flavorful. With this pesto orzo salad, you can enjoy that combination of herbal, nutty, and salty flavors that we so love about pesto, but, in a new refreshing way!
This orzo salad combines pesto sauce with fresh tomatoes, crunchy cucumbers, and tangy olives. And, to double down on the basil flavor, it adds some freshly-torn basil leaves into the mix! Finally, the entire flavor profile is brightened even more with a fresh pop of lemon.
Not only is this orzo salad with pesto packed with fresh flavor, but, it's super easy to make in only 20 minutes! And, you only need 7 basic ingredients (not counting salt and pepper). Try this easy pesto orzo salad for yourself, and I'm sure it will be a new favorite in your summer picnic and potluck rotation!
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Recipe ingredients
Ingredient notes
- Olives: I used Kalamata olives, but you can use your favorite type of olive.
- Cucumber: seedless (aka "English") cucumbers work the best, because the skin is thin so you don't need to peel it. But if you want to use a regular cucumber, just peel it first.
- Pesto: I used store-bought pesto, but homemade would be delicious in this salad!
Step by step photos
Here I will walk you through each step to making this orzo salad with pesto. If you would like to see a brief slideshow of these steps, check out my pesto orzo salad web story!
1. Before you do anything else, put a large pot of water on the stove to boil. When the water boils, generously salt it and cook the orzo according to the package directions.
While you're waiting for the water to boil, and while the orzo cooks, cut the cucumber into cubes and slice the grape tomatoes in half. I bought my olives already sliced, but, if yours aren't, you can slice them or give them a rough chop (or leave them whole, it's up to you!).
2. Add the olives, tomatoes, and cucumbers to a large bowl. When the orzo is done cooking, drain it and rinse it under cool water. Add the orzo to the bowl with the other ingredients.
3. Next, add the pesto sauce and only 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice. Stir the salad. Taste the salad and add more lemon juice if you'd like, and add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Finally, tear the basil into bite-sized pieces and stir them into the salad.
Tips and tricks
- This pesto orzo salad tastes great slightly warm right after making, at room temperature, or chilled! If taking the salad straight from the fridge, let it sit for about 10 minutes to bring out the flavors more.
- When cooking the orzo, check the box for directions on how to cook "al dente," (meaning "to the tooth"). Al dente orzo will have a slight chew to it, rather than being overly tender. This is great for pasta salads, because as the salad sits over time, the pasta will naturally become softer.
- And, before adding the orzo to the boiling pasta water, be sure to generously salt the water. A few large pinches should do the trick. This is the only way to get seasoning into the pasta itself. If you skip this step, the orzo salad will not be as flavorful.
Recipe variations
This pesto orzo salad is so delicious as-is, but there are so many ways you can make it your own! Try adding in one or more of these ingredients to customize the salad to your own tastes:
- marinated artichoke hearts
- fresh or roasted red bell peppers
- shredded Parmesan or small balls of fresh mozzarella cheese
- chopped or thinly sliced red onion
- crushed garlic
- roasted zucchini or yellow squash
- cubed salami or pepperoni
- red pepper flakes
Serving suggestions
Pesto orzo salad would be right at home at a picnic or barbecue, or as a potluck offering. It would also work well as a side for a quick lunch at home.
Here are some recipes that would go great with this orzo salad:
Recipe FAQs
Orzo is a small pasta shape, of a similar size and shape to rice. If you don't have orzo, you can substitute another small pasta shape, such as ditalini or mini shells. Israeli couscous would also be a great substitute!
Yes, you can make this orzo salad ahead of time. Because of the freshly-torn basil leaves, the salad will look and taste the freshest when made only a few hours before, or up to the night before, serving.
If you want to make the salad earlier than that, you can choose to leave out the fresh basil leaves until right before serving. The pesto orzo salad will keep for a total of 3 - 4 days when stored covered in the fridge.
It depends on what recipe you are making! This recipe for orzo salad calls for rinsing because we want to serve the salad either warm, room temperature, or cold (not hot!). So, rinsing helps to quickly bring down the temperature of the orzo and halts the cooking, preventing the salad from getting mushy.
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Print📖 Recipe
Pesto Orzo Salad
This orzo salad with pesto is so easy to make in only about 20 minutes! It's filled to the brim with fresh flavors from tomatoes, cucumbers, and torn basil. A hint of lemon brightens the pesto flavor and brings a summery note to this delicious pasta salad.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: side dish
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: Italian inspired
Ingredients
- 12 ounces (340 g) dry orzo pasta (2 cups)
- 1 cup (240 g) pesto (store-bought or homemade)
- 1 ½ cups (240 g) grape tomatoes
- 1 cup (125 g) Kalamata olives
- 1 cup (150 g) cubed English cucumber (about ½ cucumber)
- 1 - 2 tablespoons (15 - 30 ml) lemon juice
- 1 cup (20 g) lightly-packed fresh basil leaves
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Set a large pot of water to boil. When the water is boiling, add a few large pinches of salt. Cook the orzo "al dente," according to the package directions.
- While waiting for the water to come to a boil, and while the orzo is cooking, cut the grape tomatoes in half and cube the cucumber. If desired, cut the olives in half or roughly chop them. Add the tomatoes, cucumbers, and olives to a large bowl.
- When the orzo is finished cooking, drain it and rinse it under cool water. Add the drained orzo to the bowl with the other salad ingredients.
- Add the pesto and 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice to the salad. Stir well to combine. Taste the salad and add more lemon juice if desired, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir again.
- Tear the basil leaves into bite-sized pieces and add to the salad, stir gently to combine. Serve immediately or cover and chill in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.
Notes
If you don't have an English cucumber, you can substitute a regular cucumber that has been peeled. If the seeds are particularly large, you can scoop them out before cubing.
Due to the fresh basil, the orzo salad will taste best when served the same day or the next day. If you want to make the salad earlier, you can choose to add the fresh basil right before serving. The orzo salad will keep for a total of 3 - 4 days. (Store the orzo salad in a covered container in the fridge.)
The nutrition information below is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator; the nutrition counts of your dish will vary based on the brand and exact amounts of ingredients used. This nutrition estimate should not be considered a substitute for professional medical, health, or nutritional advice. See our full disclosure policy.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ⅛ recipe
- Calories: 325
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 676 mg
- Fat: 22.6 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 21.7 g
- Fiber: 1.3 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 10 mg
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