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roasted vegetable orzo salad in a bowl with fork.

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Roasted Vegetable Orzo Salad

Recipe by Danielle

This colorful Roasted Vegetable Orzo Salad is a versatile and delicious recipe packed with bell peppers, zucchini, and roasted garlic. Make-ahead for a weeknight side dish or pair with a protein for a filling meal prep lunch!

  • Total Time50 minutes
  • Yield4 servings as a side, 3 as a main 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 large red onion, peeled and cut into small wedges
  • 2 medium zucchini, chopped
  • 4 mixed bell peppers, stem/seeds removed and chopped
  • 10 large garlic cloves, kept in their skins
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • kosher salt, to taste
  • fresh ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 cup dry orzo pasta
  • 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and chopped
  • 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
  • handful of fresh basil, roughly chopped (optional, see note)

Instructions

  1. Roast the veggies: Preheat the oven to 400F and line two large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Toss the vegetables in a large bowl with the olive oil (3 tablespoons) and a generous amount of salt and pepper before spreading them in a single layer across both trays. Roast for 35-40 minutes, swapping the trays around and tossing the vegetables with a spatula halfway so they cook evenly.
  2. Cook the orzo: Meanwhile, cook the orzo (1/2 cup) in a pan of boiling, salted water until just tender according to package directions. Cooking times vary from brand to brand (some orzo is quite flat and some can be quite rounded and require a longer cooking time). Drain very well and set aside.
  3. Squeeze the garlic: When the vegetables are done roasting, remove the garlic cloves from the pans and scrape the rest of the vegetables into a large mixing bowl, getting as much of the cooking juices from the trays into the bowl as possible. Once they’re cool enough to touch, squeeze the roasted garlic from their skins into the bowl with the vegetables.
  4. Mix the salad: Add the cooked orzo and mix to combine. Next, stir in the sun-dried tomato pieces (1/4 cup drained and chopped) and red wine vinegar (2 teaspoons). Add more salt if it needs more of a savory note, and pepper if you’d like to give it a bit more depth.
  5. Serve & store: Fold in the roughly chopped basil just before serving. Don’t add the basil if you’re planning for leftovers of this salad. It is still delicious without, and it goes a bit dark and loses flavor after a few days – it also does not taste as good when the salad is reheated. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Equipment

(affiliate link!)

Notes

Pasta: This recipe will also work with larger pasta shapes – add a little more olive oil if it seems dry at all.

Serving temperature: If you plan to serve this salad cold, rinse the cooked orzo under the cold tap and rinse really well under the cold tap to remove excess starch. This will give the salad a better mouthfeel when served immediately. This step won’t matter as much for leftovers, as the juices from the vegetables will have had a chance to soak into the orzo salad in the refrigerator.

Nutrition information estimated with My Fitness Pal for 4 servings.

  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 40 minutes
  • Category: Sides
  • Method: Baked & Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Italian-inspired

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: ~1 cup packed
  • Calories: 247
  • Fat: 12g
  • Carbohydrates: 34g
  • Fiber: 4g
  • Protein: 3g

Find it online: https://staging.projectmealplan.com/roasted-vegetable-orzo-salad/