Italian Orzo Pasta Salad Recipe with Grilled Chicken

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Italian Orzo Pasta Salad Recipe with Grilled Chicken

Here we pair rice-shaped orzo pasta with olives, tomatoes, mozzarella balls, and a bold homemade Italian dressing for a flavorful side dish! Make it a full meal with juicy grilled chicken and fresh arugula. It works well for meal prep lunches or as an easy weeknight dinner.

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine Italian

Keyword Italian Orzo Pasta Salad, Italian Orzo Salad, Orzo Pasta Salad, Orzo Pasta Salad Recipe

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 15

Servings servings

Calories 695kcal

Author Faith Gorsky

Ingredients

Homemade Italian Dressing:

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
6 tablespoons red wine vinegar or white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons dried minced onion
1 tablespoon dried Italian herb seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional
2 large cloves garlic crushed

Italian Grilled Chicken:

Half of the Homemade Italian Dressing
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts

Italian Orzo Pasta Salad:

8 ounces orzo cooked according to the package directions, drained, and cooled
1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
1 cup pitted Castelvetrano olives halved
1/2 medium-sized white onion thinly sliced
8 ounces bocconcini fresh mozzarella cheese balls (see Notes)
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves chiffonade cut
Half of the Homemade Italian Dressing
6 cups baby arugula

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make the Dressing:

Add all ingredients to a large bowl and whisk to combine.

Marinade the Chicken:

Add the ingredients to a gallon-sized zip-top plastic bag, seal the bag, and squish it around to coat the chicken. Marinade for 20 minutes at room temperature or up to 4 hours in the fridge.

Make the Pasta Salad:

Add all ingredients (except the arugula) to a bowl and toss gently to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and chill the salad while you grill the chicken.

Grill the Chicken:

Preheat a grill to medium-high. Grill the chicken breasts until they reach an internal temperature of 155F, about 5 to 7 minutes per side.
Let the chicken rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing across the grain.

To Serve:

To serve family style, spread out the arugula, orzo salad, and grilled chicken on a large platter. Garnish with fresh basil if desired.
To serve individual portions, place 1 cup arugula, 1/6 of the salad, and 1/6 of the chicken onto each of 6 plates (or in each of 6 meal prep containers).

Notes

Storage: This will keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Bocconcini: These are small bite-sized mozzarella cheese balls. You can also use fresh mozzarella pearls, which I prefer because they're a little smaller than bocconcini. Another option is to cut a block of mozzarella cheese into cubes.

Nutrition