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A large white bowl with scalloped edges is filled assembled and mixed greek orzo pasta salad. The bowl sits atop a creamy white textured surface with a yellow and white linen napkin partially tucked underneath on one side. Two blue glasses rest alongside the bowl at center, one rests atop a wicker coaster.

Greek Orzo Pasta Salad with Creamy Tzatziki Dressing

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 4 reviews
  • Author: Jess Larson
  • Prep Time: 25 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: serves 4-6 1x
  • Category: Pasta Recipes, Entree Salads & Bowls, Side Dishes
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Greek, Mediterranean
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Description

During the summer months, there’s truly nothing better than pasta salad! (Can we all agree to a collective hat tip to whoever decided we can swap lettuce with pasta & still call it a salad?! Recipe development brilliance! 😉) 

This particular Greek Orzo Pasta Salad is such a crowd-pleaser. Inspired by classic Greek salad, it’s loaded with the fresh flavor of cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, red peppers, olives, & feta cheese. You’ll notice it strays from tradition a little bit, making use of roasted red peppers for a tender bite & mild-yet-meaty castelvetrano olives. Toss it all with orzo or your short pasta of choice & a creamy-dreamy tzatziki-inspired yogurt dressing. 

What you’ll really appreciate about this Greek pasta salad is its flexibility. It’s great cold or at room temp, perfect for entertaining or a simple at-home dinner, & it pairs with just about everything you want to eat during the summer months. Refer to the blog post, above, for some serving inspiration & refer to the Recipe Notes, below, for easy tweaks to accommodate dairy-free, vegan, & gluten-free diets. 

Happy pasta salad season! ♡

Ingredients

Scale
  • 8 ounces orzo or short pasta of choice
  • creamy tzatziki dressing (below)
  • ½ medium red onion, finely diced
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 3 mini cucumbers, diced (about 1 ½ cups diced)
  • 8 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
  • 6 ounces pitted castelvetrano olives or kalamata olives, drained & torn in half or roughly chopped
  • 6 ounces roasted red pepper, drained, rinsed, patted dry & diced
  • 6 ounces feta, patted dry & cubed or crumbled
  • kosher salt & ground black pepper, to season

for the creamy tzatziki dressing:

  • 2 mini cucumbers, grated (about ½ cup grated)
  • 5 ounces plain Greek yogurt (about ¾ cup, 2% or full-fat recommended)
  • 1 lemon, zested & juiced
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • kosher salt & ground black pepper, to season

Instructions

  1. Cook the orzo: Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Once boiling, add the orzo and cook, stirring occasionally, until the orzo is cooked to al dente according to package directions, about 7-8 minutes. Drain & immediately rinse with cold water. Set aside to drain well.Cooked orzo pasta from DeLallo rests inside of a white colander after being drained. A single gold fork rests inside of the pasta and the colander sits atop a creamy white textured surface. A bag of DeLallo orzo pasta and a small wooden pinch bowl filled with kosher salt surround the colander at center.
  2. Veggie prep: Meanwhile, as the orzo cooks, prep the remaining ingredients starting with the onion. Place the finely diced red onion in a small bowl & squeeze the lemon juice over top. Stir to combine & set aside to sit as you prepare the remaining ingredients. Slice the tomatoes, dice the cucumbers, tear or roughly chop the olives, etc. Once all of your ingredients are prepped, drain the lemon juice from the onions & discard.How to make greek pasta salad, step 2: Prep the veggies. Torn castelvetrano olives, chopped cucumber, and halved cherry tomatoes rest atop a white plastic cutting that sits atop a white textured surface. Diced roasted red pepper and diced red onion fill two separate ceramic bowls that surround the cutting board. A chef's knife rests atop the cutting board and two lemon halves rest atop and near the diced red onion.
  3. Prep the creamy tzatziki dressing: Placed the grated cucumber on a kitchen towel (or a few sturdy paper towels). Wring the towel over the sink to squeeze excess water out of the cucumbers; there will be a lot! Transfer the cucumbers to a medium bowl. Add the plain Greek yogurt, lemon zest & juice, garlic, dill, & olive oil. Season with ½ teaspoon kosher salt & ground black pepper as desired. Stir to combine. Taste & adjust seasoning as desired or stir in 1-2 tablespoons of water to thin out the consistency as desired. Set aside, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. [gallery columns="2" size="full" ids="29749,29750"]
  4. Assemble Greek orzo pasta salad: To a large bowl, add the orzo, red onion, tomatoes, cucumber, olives, roasted red pepper, & feta. Pour the creamy tzatziki dressing over top. Toss to combine. Taste & adjust seasonings as desired. Serve immediately at room temperature or chill to serve cold. Enjoy!A large white bowl with scalloped edges is filled assembled and mixed greek orzo pasta salad garnished with fresh dill. The bowl sits atop a creamy white textured surface with a yellow and white linen napkin partially tucked underneath on one side. Two blue glasses rest alongside the bowl at center, one rests atop a wicker coaster.

Equipment

Notes

  • Serving Suggestions: This Greek orzo pasta salad is great served at room temperature or chilled. Enjoy it on its own as a light & fresh vegetarian meal, or serve as an awesome summer side dish with Greek chicken, grilled lemon chicken, turkey burgers, grilled sausages, & more – whatever you love!
  • Make-Ahead & Storage: Leftover Greek orzo pasta salad is best when served within 3 days of assembly, though it’ll keep for up to 5 days. Store the assembled Greek pasta salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
  • 20-Minute Meal Prep: This Greek orzo pasta salad comes together pretty quickly, but if you’d like to do a little prep work in advance to help cut down on the active prep time when you make your pasta salad, chop the veggies &/or make the creamy tzatziki dressing:
    • Prep the creamy tzatziki dressing according to Step 3 of Recipe Directions, above. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. (approx. 10 minutes active prep)
    • Prep the veggies according to the Ingredients List, above: finely dice ½ medium red onion, halve or quarter cherry tomatoes, & dice mini cucumbers & roasted red pepper. Store in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. (approx. 10 minutes active prep)

Find it online: https://playswellwithbutter.com/greek-orzo-pasta-salad-with-tzatziki-dressing/