In the mood for a summer pasta but not a fan of the mayo-laden macaroni salad? Amanda Haas has an elegant solution: Her book Homemade Simple: Effortless Dishes for a Busy Life includes an Italian orzo pasta salad dressed with a stunning red wine vinaigrette. And it’s so easy, you’ll be able to put it together in under an hour.
To make this stellar main, you’ll boil orzo until al dente — if you’re gluten-free, you can easily substitute your favorite GF pasta here. Then, you’ll toss that pasta in half of your vinaigrette. This step is very important — the hot pasta will better absorb the flavor of the dressing. While that cools, you’ll sauté fresh zucchini until tender. Throw that veg into your pasta mixture; when you’re ready to serve the dish, you’ll toss in tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, olives, roasted red peppers, herby basil, and the rest of your vinaigrette. The end result is a fresh, light yet filling, veggie-forward meal inspired by a meat-free antipasto spread.
Ready for the even better news? This dish can be stored in the fridge for up to five days, which makes it perfect for workweek lunches. With this salad in your arsenal, you won’t be ordering afternoon takeout anytime soon.
Italian Orzo Salad
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Ingredients
- Kosher salt
- 1¼ cups orzo about 8 ounces/225 g
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 cup diced zucchini
- ⅔ cup mini mozzarella balls (ciliegine), halved
- ⅓ cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
- ⅔ cup diced jarred roasted red peppers
- ¼ cup sliced pitted black olives
- 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil
Red Wine Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
Instructions
- For the vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, ½ teaspoon salt, a few grindings of pepper, and the oregano. Set aside.
- Fill a large saucepan half full of salted water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the orzo and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 8 minutes or according to the package instructions. Drain well and transfer to a large bowl. Add half the vinaigrette and toss to combine. Set aside to cool.
- In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the zucchini and cook, stirring occasionally until tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer the mixture to the bowl with the orzo and let cool.
- To assemble the salad, add the mozzarella, tomatoes, red peppers, olives, basil, and the rest of the vinaigrette to the orzo. Taste, adding more salt if desired.
Notes
- Serves 4-6
- To store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Reprinted from Homemade Simple: Effortless Dishes for a Busy Life, by Amanda Haas with permission from Abrams Books, 2023. Photographs © Kathleen Sheffer.
