Make Ahead Italian Orzo Pasta Salad
Serves 2 | with Shallot Dressing and Bocconcini- Wheat
- Milk
- Gluten
- Wheat
- May contain traces of allergens
- Milk
- Sulphites
- Egg
- Fish
- Tree nuts
- Mustard
- Sesame
- Soy
- Peanuts
- Triticale
Ingredients: Chickpeas (chickpeas, water, salt, disodium EDTA) • Orzo (durum wheat semolina, niacin, ferrous sulphate, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid) (wheat) • Baby tomatoes • Bocconcini cheese (pasteurized milk, calcium chloride, microbial enzyme, bacterial culture) (milk) • Lemon • Spinach • Shallot • Mixed olives (pitted green olives, pitted kalamata olives, water, salt, lactic acid, potassium sorbate, vinegar, calcium chloride) • Red wine vinegar (wine vinegar, potassium sorbate, sulphites) (sulphites) • Italian herb spice blend (salt, dehydrated onion, dehydrated garlic, herbs, sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, canola oil, silicon dioxide) (sulphites).
Ingredients
1 unit(s)
Chickpeas
(May be present: Gluten, Wheat)
170 g
Orzo
(Contains: Wheat)
113 g
Baby Tomatoes
1 unit(s)
Shallot
30 g
Mixed Olives
(May be present: Wheat, Milk, Sulphites, Egg, Fish, Tree nuts)
1 unit(s)
Lemon
56 g
Baby Spinach
1 tbsp
Red Wine Vinegar
(May be present: Wheat, Milk, Egg, Fish, Tree nuts, Mustard, Sesame, Soy)
100 g
Bocconcini Cheese
(Contains: Milk)
4.3 g
Italian Seasoning
(May be present: Wheat, Milk, Tree nuts, Mustard, Sesame, Soy, Peanuts, Triticale)
Nutrition Values
Cooking Steps
Add 6 cups water and 1 tsp salt to a large pot. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Before starting, wash and dry all produce. Add orzo to the boiling water. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until tender, 6-8 min. • Drain orzo, then rinse under cold water until cool.
Meanwhile, drain, then rinse chickpeas. Pat dry with paper towels. • Halve tomatoes, then season with salt and pepper. • Zest, then juice lemon. • Peel, then finely chop shallot. • Roughly chop olives. • Roughly chop spinach. • Tear bocconcini into bite-sized pieces. Season with salt and pepper.
In a large bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice, red wine vinegar, 2 1/2 tbsp oil, 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning, shallot and 1/2 tsp sugar. (TIP: We love using olive oil here!) Season with 1/8 tsp salt and pepper. • Add cooled orzo, chickpeas, olives, tomatoes, bocconcini, lemon zest and spinach, then toss to combine. • Season again with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve immediately, or place in the fridge overnight to let the flavours meld. • Before serving, season with salt and pepper to taste. • Serve alongside your favourite cooked protein or on its own
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Feb 2026- Flavor: Many enjoyed this fresh and cooling salad, though some found the vinegar overwhelming. Consider adjusting the dressing to taste.
- Ease of prep: Reviewers praised the salad for being easy to prepare, making it great for quick dinners or summer barbecues.
- Suggestions: Add Parmesan cheese for extra flavour. Consider increasing the dressing amount to prevent dryness.
- Portions: Several customers noted the recipe could easily serve more than two people.
