An easy, flavorful orzo pasta salad made with grilled summer vegetables, sun-blushed tomatoes and a simple lemon-and-olive-oil herb dressing. Serve this salad warm or cold — it’s ideal for summer lunches, picnics and BBQs.
I love grilling vegetables in summer. I often serve them with steak, chicken or fish, but they’re also perfect in pasta salads because grilling concentrates their flavour and you can prepare large batches at once.
Grilled vegetables store well for up to three days, so if you cook extra while making dinner, you can toss them into a simple pasta salad for lunches throughout the week — quick and convenient.
This salad is highly adaptable: swap herbs, vegetables or add-ins to suit your taste. A few suggestions are listed below to help you vary the flavours.
See the full recipe below and enjoy!
Ingredient notes
- Grilled veg – A mix of zucchini, eggplant and red pepper gives a good balance of sweetness and texture. If using three vegetables, choose smaller varieties so they cook evenly.
- Sun blushed tomatoes – These are semi-dried tomatoes, often sold marinated with garlic and herbs. If unavailable, jarred sun-dried tomatoes in oil are a suitable substitute.
- Fresh basil and dried oregano –Simple herbs work beautifully here. Fresh mint or parsley can also be added for a different, refreshing note.
- Orzo –Also called risoni, this rice-shaped pasta is ideal for salads and soups. You can substitute another short pasta like small shells, penne or mezze maniche if needed.
Don’t rinse your pasta
Avoid rinsing pasta when preparing a pasta salad. Rinsing removes both salt and starch, leaves the pasta wetter, and prevents the dressing from adhering as well.
The best approach is to drain hot pasta and immediately add it to the dressing in a large bowl. Toss to coat with olive oil so it won’t stick, then mix in the remaining ingredients and either serve warm or let the salad cool.
Easy variations to try
- Add cheese – Fresh mozzarella or bocconcini work well; add them once the pasta has cooled so they don’t melt.
- Add pesto – Stirring in a spoonful of pesto amps up the flavour. Basil, arugula (rocket) or sun-dried tomato pesto are all great choices.
- Add meat – Cured meats like prosciutto or salami add a salty, savory dimension.
- Herbs – Fresh mint or parsley provide a bright lift if you want a different herb profile.
- Olives and capers – Both are handy pantry additions that bring salty, briny notes to the salad.
- Raw vs grilled veg – Grilled vegetables are sweeter and slightly smoky; for a crisper salad, substitute raw cucumber, thinly sliced red onion or fresh cherry tomatoes.
More summer salads to try
Pasta
Zucchini Shrimp Pasta Salad
Salads
Insalata di Riso (Italian Rice Salad)
Sides
Patate Apparecchiate (Sicilian Potatoes with Onions and Olives)
Salads
Cialledda (Southern Italian Bread Salad)
If you try this Orzo Pasta Salad or any other recipe here, please rate it and share your results in the comments — feedback is always appreciated.
Step By Step Photos Above
Most of our recipes include step-by-step photos and helpful tips to ensure success.
Orzo and Grilled Vegetable Pasta Salad
By Emily
Ingredients
- 1 cup (175g) orzo pasta (risoni)
- 1 small eggplant (aubergine)
- 1 small zucchini (courgette)
- 1 long red pepper (or small bell pepper)
- ½ cup (80g) sun blushed tomatoes
- 1 cup fresh basil (large handful)
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ cup (50g) olive oil, plus extra for grilling
- 1 whole lemon (juice)
- ½ teaspoon sea salt flakes, plus extra to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat a ridged griddle pan or outdoor grill. Finely slice the pepper, eggplant and zucchini and lightly drizzle them with olive oil.
- Grill the pepper first until charred and soft on both sides. Transfer to a plate and cover with plastic wrap to help loosen the skin.
- Grill the zucchini and eggplant until charred and tender on both sides. Transfer to a plate, sprinkle with salt and set aside.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil, salt it well and cook the orzo until al dente. Drain.
- While the pasta cooks, whisk together ¼ cup (50g) olive oil, the juice of 1 lemon, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon sea salt flakes and a pinch of black pepper in a large bowl.
- Add the hot, drained orzo to the dressing immediately and stir to coat.
- Remove the plastic wrap from the pepper and peel off as much skin as possible. Roughly chop the pepper and add it to the pasta.
- Roughly chop the zucchini, eggplant and basil. Add them to the pasta with the sun-blushed tomatoes and mix until combined. Taste and adjust seasoning or lemon as needed.
- Serve warm or allow the salad to cool before refrigerating.
Notes
- Tomatoes – Sun-blushed (semi-dried) tomatoes are usually found in the deli section. If unavailable, use jarred sun-dried tomatoes in oil; choose ones marinated with garlic and herbs for extra flavour.
- Peeling the pepper skin – Optional, but peeling removes any loosened, chewy skin and improves texture.
- Storage – Store in the refrigerator for 3–4 days. The pasta softens over time, so bring the salad to room temperature before serving and add a squeeze of fresh lemon if the flavour needs brightening.
Helpful Info for All Recipes
- I use extra virgin olive oil in recipes unless otherwise noted.
- When using canned or jarred tomatoes, quality brands give better flavour.
- Vegetable sizes are medium unless stated otherwise.
- Recipes are developed and tested using a fan (convection) oven unless noted.
- Nutrition information is an approximation and calculated automatically.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.