An orzo salad with roasted tomato vinaigrette, burrata cheese, seasonal vegetables, and lots of fresh herbs. It’s a really fresh take on a pasta salad that’s bursting with summer flavor. You can make it ahead of time and serve it up at your next cookout!
This post is sponsored by DeLallo.
orzo salad with roasted tomato vinaigrette – the details
A good pasta salad is a summer staple. It’s such an ideal side dish for a cookout to accompany anything you’re throwing on the grill. Great for serving a crowd, you can make a big batch of it ahead of time and have it ready to go when the party arrives.
Lately, my pasta of choice has been orzo. It’s a very small cut of pasta (essentially the size of rice) that mixes so well with all of the other ingredients, allowing everything to mingle and meld together beautifully.
DeLallo Orzo is my go-to for good reason – their pastas are imported from Italy and use the highest quality durum wheat. This really shows in both the taste and texture of the orzo, holding up so well in a dish like this orzo salad.
You’ll start this recipe by making a roasted tomato vinaigrette. Cherry tomatoes roast in the oven with olive oil and basil until super soft and caramelized. The sweet tomato flavor intensifies as they slowly cook.
The roasted cherry tomatoes get tossed into the salad, while the tomato-infused olive oil is whisked up with garlic, red wine vinegar, parsley, and red pepper flakes. It’s a sweet, tangy, garlicky summer vinaigrette.
After the roasted tomato vinaigrette is made, it’s simply a matter of prepping and mixing all of the orzo salad ingredients. We’ve got sweet summer corn, fresh zucchini, red onion, castelvetrano olives, more basil, and fresh chives.
Toss everything together in a large bowl with the orzo, roasted tomatoes, and vinaigrette. I like to serve the salad on a big platter with creamy burrata cheese torn over top. The combination of the bright salad with a little rich burrata in every bite is irresistible.
You can make the orzo salad ahead of time (ideally only 1 day prior) and then just top it with the cheese and garnishes right before serving!
PrintOrzo Salad with Roasted Tomato Vinaigrette & Burrata
a summer orzo salad with fresh corn, zucchini, olives, red onion, and herbs, tossed in a roasted tomato vinaigrette & topped with burrata cheese
servings: 8-10
Ingredients
Roasted Tomato Vinaigrette
- 2 pints cherry tomatoes
- 1 large sprig of basil
- ¾ cup DeLallo Private Reserve Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- kosher salt
- 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- ⅓ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Orzo Salad
- 4 ears of corn, husks removed
- 1 lb DeLallo Orzo
- 1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise + very thinly sliced
- 1 small red onion, finely diced
- 1 (5.3 oz) jar pitted castelvetrano olives, drained + halved
- ½ cup thinly sliced fresh basil
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh chives
- 2 balls of burrata cheese, drained
- flaky sea salt
- freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- For the roasted tomato vinaigrette, preheat the oven to 375°F. Add the cherry tomatoes, sprig of basil, and olive oil to a 12” cast iron skillet. Toss well to coat and season generously with kosher salt. Roast for 45 minutes, or until the tomatoes are soft and caramelized. Let the tomatoes cool in the skillet.
- Meanwhile, for the orzo salad, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the ears of corn and cook for 4 minutes. Use tongs to transfer them to a bowl of ice water for a minute or so to cool. Drain and cut the kernels off.
- Strain out any corn strands from the boiling water. Use the water to cook the orzo according to the package’s instructions. Drain and cool. Transfer the orzo to a large mixing bowl. Add the corn, zucchini, red onion, olives, basil, and chives.
- To finish the vinaigrette, use a slotted spoon to transfer the tomatoes to the bowl of orzo. Add the garlic, red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, and red pepper flakes to a smaller mixing bowl. Whisk to combine. Pour the oil from the skillet into the mixing bowl, whisking until emulsified. Stir in the parsley. Season with salt to taste.
- Pour about ¾ of the vinaigrette into the orzo salad. Toss well to combine. Transfer the orzo to a large platter.
- Tear the burrata cheese into pieces and arrange it over the salad. Season with flaky sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Spoon the remaining vinaigrette over top. Garnish with any extra basil leaves, if desired.
