This beautiful pasta salad is not only delicious but festive for any table accompanying any dish! We love it for spring and summer because it’s loaded with veggies and has a nice, light lemon herb dressing that goes great with anything grilled.

---

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Total time: 20 minutes

Makes about 8 servings

• 1-1/2 cups uncooked orzo pasta
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1 orange bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1 English cucumber, finely chopped
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup corn, fresh or frozen
• 1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Dressing:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice (half a lemon)
• 2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

• Chop all veggies needed.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add teaspoon of salt. Cook orzo according to directions until al dente. Stir every few minutes to prevent clumping and sticking. Drain and rinse with cold water so it cools quickly (to prevent it softening further).
• While orzo is cooking, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic, oregano, and salt + pepper in a bowl and set aside.
• In a large bowl, mix together the cooked orzo, all veggies and herbs, and drizzle the dressing over everything. Mix until well combined.
• Season with additional salt + pepper, if needed.
• May be served immediately or cover and marinate in fridge for a few hours before serving, or overnight.

• Pro tip: Cook your entire bag of Orzo (if it’s small enough) and only use what is needed for the pasta salad. Save the rest of the plain pasta for your littles so they can still have the pasta without all the extra pizzazz. Ours likes a little butter on hers.
• If possible, I highly recommend letting it marinate for the lemon dressing flavor to really soak into the pasta and veggies. There is a difference between serving right away versus letting it sit a bit.

Perfect for summer grilling season, which is right around the corner, or even as a festive Easter dish to bring to your gathering, this pasta salad has bright colors and looks beautiful on any table.

We love to make it for dinner early in the week and have the leftovers for lunches the rest of the week. It’s easy to throw into individual serving bowls and pack with a spoon for lunches or to have at home all ready and portioned out.

However you decide to use this recipe, I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!