I love making pasta salads in the spring and summer. They only take a little bit of time and are always a hit! This orzo pasta salad is a spin-off of my original pasta salad recipe. Both recipes are equally delicious! You could bring this to a party, luncheon, or barbecue!

If you haven’t tried orzo yet, you really should. I love the size and texture. If you have a favorite pasta, feel free to use it in this pasta salad recipe! Although I have only tried it with ziti and rigatoni, you could use anything!

What makes this orzo pasta salad healthy?

• Most pasta salads call for an entire bottle of Italian dressing. This recipe calls for a couple of tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and a packet of dry Italian seasoning. Not only is it much healthier, but it tastes so much lighter!
• You can fill this salad up with vegetables. I use red onion, cucumber, and banana peppers. You could add tomatoes, olives, spinach, etc.

Tips:

• I use 2 tbsp of olive oil in this recipe. If you want to use a little bit more, that is perfectly fine. I recommend leaving that up to the individual. When you are serving you could have a little bit of olive oil on the side for those that want an extra drizzle.
• I love to add about 1/4 a cup of juice from the jar of banana peppers. It adds so much flavor!
• I like to chop my veggies as small as possible for this orzo pasta salad. The orzo is already small, so it just makes sense to chop your vegetables in very small pieces.
• If you are serving at a party, barbecue, or luncheon, I recommend having spoons available. I prefer enjoying with a spoon since the orzo is so small!