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A close up of an orzo pasta salad with grilled veg and tomatoes in a blue bowl with basil on top.
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Orzo and Grilled Vegetable Pasta Salad

Use the camera icon to toggle the step by step photos on and off. A light and delicious orzo pasta salad made with grilled vegetables, tomatoes, herbs and a simple lemon and olive oil dressing.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: pasta
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 6 servings
Author: Emily Wyper

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (175g) orzo pasta (risoni)
  • 1 small eggplant (aubergine)
  • 1 small zucchini (courgette)
  • 1 long red pepper (or small bell pepper)
  • ½ cup (80g) sun blushed tomatoes see notes
  • 1 cup fresh basil (large handful)
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 cup (50g) olive oil plus extra for grilling
  • 1 whole lemon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt flakes
  • pepper

Instructions

  • Heat a ridged griddle pan or grill. Finely slice the pepper, eggplant and zucchini and lightly drizzle them in olive oil.
  • Grill the pepper first until charred and soft on both sides then transfer it to a plate and cover with plastic wrap (this helps to remove the skin later).
    Two photos in a collage showing red peppers wrapped in plastic wrap and peeling the skin off.
  • Grill the zucchini and eggplant until charred and soft on both sides then transfer them to a plate and sprinkle with salt. Set aside.
    Two photos showing grilling zucchini and it charred on a plate.
  • Bring a pot of water to a boil and salt it well. Add the orzo and cook until al dente.
  • Meanwhile, put ¼ cup (50g) olive oil, the juice of 1 whole lemon, ½ teaspoon of dried oregano, ½ teaspoon sea salt flakes and a pinch of black pepper in a large mixing bowl and whisk until combined and emulsified.
    Two photos showing a dressing and orzo pasta being added.
  • Once cooked, drain the orzo pasta and add it to the dressing while still hot. Stir to combine in the dressing.
  • Remove the plastic wrap from the peppers and peel as much of the skin off as possible (it should come off fairly easy). Roughly chop them and add them to the pasta.
    Two photos showing vegetables and herbs getting added to an orzo pasta salad.
  • Roughly chop the zucchini, eggplant and fresh basil and add them to the pasta alongside the sun-blushed tomatoes. Stir everything together until well combined. Taste for seasoning and add more salt or lemon to taste.
  • Serve warm or leave to cool.

Notes

  • Tomatoes - I buy sun-blushed tomatoes (semi-dried) in the deli section at my supermarket next to the olives, artichokes and other marinated vegetables. If you can’t find them, then you can use sun-dried tomatoes jarred in oil. Look for tomatoes marinated with garlic and herbs for more flavour.
  • Peeling the pepper skin - this is optional, but often, the skin can come loose after grilling and can give the salad a funny texture, so I prefer to peel it.
  • Storage - the pasta salad will keep well in the fridge for 3-4 days, although the pasta will start to soften the longer it’s left. Bring the salad to room temperature before serving for the best flavour. I find the lemon mellows after a day, so I like to add an extra squeeze of fresh lemon before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 225kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Sodium: 209mg | Potassium: 652mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 972IU | Vitamin C: 35mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 2mg
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