Caprese Orzo Pasta Salad

Caprese Orzo Pasta Salad is a light and refreshing salad, made with orzo pasta, grape tomatoes, mozzarella and fresh basil. This easy orzo pasta salad is so quick to make, perfect to take to a picnic or get-together.

This tomato mozzarella pasta salad, also called Caprese Pasta Salad is one of our favorites! With all the fresh summer flavors, juicy tomatoes, fresh basil leaves, mozzarella pearls, and a basic balsamic vinaigrette, along with orzo pasta, this is a delicious and filling salad.

Enjoy it for a light lunch or as a side dish for dinner. Or take it to your next get-together or picnic. Everyone will love it!

I love to put this salad together right before eating, similar to this Rotini Chickpea Pasta Salad, as it is so easy to make once you have the ingredients ready. You can also prepare it in advance and refrigerate for a few hours.

What is Caprese?

Caprese is a simple Italian salad made with slices of fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and sweet basil, seasoned with salt and olive oil.

This Caprese Pasta Salad is a variation of the traditional Caprese salad and pasta. I like to add orzo pasta to the Caprese salad, but you can use other types of pasta too.

Ingredients in Caprese Pasta Salad

1. Orzo pasta – I use enriched orzo pasta, but you can use whole wheat orzo pasta or rainbow-colored orzo for this salad. You can also use other types of cooked pasta in this recipe.
2. Tomatoes – I used grape tomatoes in this recipe. Cherry tomatoes or rainbow-colored baby tomatoes work great too!
3. Mozzarella – I used mini mozzarella pearls. They are the perfect size to add to this salad. Other larger mozzarella works too. Just cut it into bite-size pieces.
4. Basil – Fresh basil leaves add so much flavor to this Caprese salad.
5. Vinaigrette dressing - I made a vinaigrette right when putting together the salad. You can also prepare the vinaigrette in advance and pour it into the salad.

You can also add spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, or arugula to this salad. Or if you like some parmesan cheese.

Another variation could be to add pesto to this Caprese pasta salad. Here is my recipe for a delicious Basil Walnut Pesto. You can also check out my pesto orzo pasta salad recipe.

How to cook orzo pasta?

Orzo is a rice-shaped pasta made with semolina flour made from durum wheat.

You can cook orzo by boiling a large pot of water on the stovetop. Add orzo and boil for the time suggested in package directions.

I like to cook orzo pasta in an instant pot like this Lemon Parmesan Orzo. You can cook just orzo and add it to this salad, or if you have leftovers from this Lemon Parmesan Orzo, they work well in this Caprese salad too.

Craving soup? Check out our favorite instant pot Chicken Orzo Soup recipe.

How to make Caprese Orzo Pasta Salad?

1. Cook the orzo according to package directions until al dente. Drain the orzo and let it cool slightly. Or cook the orzo in the pressure cooker. Transfer the orzo pasta into a large bowl and toss it with a tablespoon of olive oil so it doesn't stick together.
2. Prepare the Caprese pasta salad dressing. Add all of the ingredients into a bowl and whisk together until well-mixed. I use less balsamic vinegar. Otherwise, the color of the pasta salad can become too brown.
3. Add pasta, tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil leaves to a large salad bowl. Pour the vinaigrette and toss until combined. Adjust salt and pepper if needed.
4. Enjoy right away, or refrigerate for about 30 minutes until chilled. The orzo pasta soaks up the dressing if you make it ahead, which gives it great flavor.
5. (Optional) Add a drizzle of balsamic glaze just before serving.

Enjoy this easy Caprese Orzo Salad for a refreshing light lunch, or take it to your next get-together!

📖 Recipe