This simple orzo pasta salad recipe is perfect for summer picnics, potlucks, and barbecues! A great make ahead lemon pasta side dish that everyone will enjoy.
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I might be a teeeeeeeeensy bit obsessed with this lemon orzo pasta salad.
For one, it’s insanely easy. We’re talking mayyyyybe fifteen minutes of prep time and just a handful of basic ingredients.
For two, it’s bright and fresh and lemon-y and it just screams summatiiiiiiiime ☀☀☀
For threesies, I GREW THIS BASIL RIGHT HERE ⬇⬇⬇
This basil is a pretty big deal, mostly because 1) I’m a chronic accidental plant-killer and 2) we live in a small apartment with no yard so everything is in little plant pots and 3) please see #1.
Side note: If you are good at growing things, please drop me a comment and tell me your secrets. Because I am simultaneously super determined to keep my basil plant alive and super anxious that I am going to accidentally, you know, kill it.
…Again.
We’re also growing TOMATOES this year (and by “we” I mean Kyle who is the resident does-not-kill-all-the-plants-er), but they’re not quite ready to make their way into this orzo pasta salad yet.
Kyle (HI KYLE) has three tomato plants in big ol’ buckets on our patio, and I’m attemptinnggggggg to grow basil (CHECK AND DONE, ⬆ SEE ORZO SALAD PHOTOS ⬇), parsley, and strawberries. We put the tomato seedlings in less than a month ago, and they’re already HUGE. I love checking on them every day – partly it’s fun to see how fast they grow, and partly because I work from home so walking downstairs to stare at a tomato plant is often the only time I leave the house all day (my job is super glamorous, you guys).
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A tasty orzo pasta salad recipe perfect for summer potlucks.
Ingredients
- 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup good-quality extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
- 1 heaping cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
- 2 large tomatoes, diced
Instructions
- Use a microplane or small grater to zest your lemon. Place zest into a large mixing bowl.
- Cut zested lemon in half and squeeze all of the lemon juice into the mixing bowl with the lemon zest, being careful not to let any lemon seeds fall into the bowl.
- Add olive oil, salt, and pepper to lemon juice and whisk to combine. Set aside.
- Cook orzo in very salty water until al dente.
- Ladle out 1/2 cup of the orzo’s pasta water and set aside.
- Drain orzo and add drained pasta to the lemon-olive oil mixture. Add the reserved pasta water to orzo and stir to combine. The sauce will look pretty watery, but don’t worry – the orzo will soak up the liquid as it cools.
- Let orzo cool in the mixing bowl for 10-20 minutes.
- When orzo has cooled down, add the basil and tomatoes and stir to combine. Taste and add seasoning as necessary.
- Transfer orzo to an airtight container and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours or until ready to serve. This is a great dish to make ahead of time for summer picnics and potlucks!
Notes
Use good quality olive oil for this recipe – there aren’t very many ingredients here, so using high-quality stuff is all the more important.
Add additional herbs, grilled chicken, mozzarella cheese, or extra veggies to mix this salad up a bit and make it your own!
If you don’t have a fresh lemon, you can substitute 1/4 cup of lemon juice in this recipe.
Pairs well with Smoked Gouda Beer Burgers, summery Lemon Garlic Chicken, or your favorite veggie dish.
Nutrition
- Calories: 236
Cindy says
June 4, 2019 at 7:32 PMMost people kill basil two ways:
1) planting in full sun. Plant in mixed sun & shade. In a pot in a window with indirect light also works.
2) overwatering. Don’t keep soaked. Let water just run through if in a pot. Don’t let it sit in water. Water again when soil slightly dry on top 1/2 inch. Every 2-3 days should be enough. I have had huge potted basil in my kitchen from the wee pots you can buy at the grocery. The bigger ones need a bit more water.
Good luck.
Maria Lewan says
January 19, 2019 at 9:04 AMDelicious! Added Mediterranean feta cheese, artichoke hearts & olives!
Jackie @ Life As A Strawberry says
January 22, 2019 at 2:14 PMHello Maria, YUM sounds great!
Paul says
November 9, 2018 at 2:09 PMStill enjoying this recipe in early November, before is time to switch to cooked risotto. In place of basil, I used curly parsley 1/2 cup and dried mint 1 tsp. Very welcoming dish to try variations.
Jackie @ Life As A Strawberry says
November 26, 2018 at 12:22 PMHi Paul, thanks so much for sharing!
Jennifer says
October 23, 2018 at 1:41 PMThis is delicious, have added different things every time and the result is always delicious, its a go to for me at least once a week!
★★★★★
Jackie @ Life As A Strawberry says
November 6, 2018 at 1:59 PMHey Jennifer, so great to hear we are in the dinner rotation! Thank you!
Chandelle says
August 5, 2017 at 12:42 AMI love this recipe because I can remember all the ingredients! It’s been my go-to so far this summer because of that alone. Now I’m getting requests for it! Yay!! I do stir in some feta once it’s cool…because FETA!!
Jessie says
August 7, 2017 at 10:56 AMWahoo! I’m so happy you like it, Chandelle (and I LOVE the feta idea!!)
thehangingspoon says
June 10, 2016 at 2:49 PMI hear ya girl! I’m obsessed with orzo and anything with lemon haha! Gorgeous and yummy! Love it!
Jessie says
June 20, 2016 at 4:07 PMThank you so much!