Packed with flavor and texture, Broccoli Orzo Pasta Salad combines tender pasta, creamy feta cheese, and crisp broccoli florets for a bright and fresh side dish that’s simple to make. Whether you’re whipping up a quick lunch, hosting a summer gathering, or feeding a crowd, this salad is perfect!
Love a great pasta salad recipe? Try my Mediterranean Pasta Salad, Deviled Egg Pasta Salad, or Creamy Tomato Cucumber Pasta Salad.
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5-Star Reader Comment:
“This was fantastic! My son said it’s his favorite. Such a delicious mixture of great tastes. We’re taking on a camping trip for a light pasta salad in the heat of summer.”
Mari-Ann
My family loves broccoli, and we are huge fans of this superfood! Whether it’s my Broccoli Apple Salad or Ramen Broccoli Slaw, we’re always down for a broccoli dish. But let me tell you, this salad recipe? It’s a favorite!”
Broccoli + Pasta = The Best Pasta Salad
- My “success secret” of roasting the broccoli is that it brings out amazing flavor while adding great texture.
- This salad is so fast to make – orzo cooks faster than other pasta, and the whole salad comes together in just 15 minutes.
Ingredients For Broccoli Pasta Salad
- Orzo pasta – I like to use orzo because it’s easy to combine with all the other ingredients.
- Broccoli – You can dice up a whole broccoli head or by broccoli florets.
- Garlic and Olive Oil – All you need to roast broccoli.
- Grape Tomatoes – Excellent for pasta salads because they are so sweet and juicy.
- Green Onions – I like green onion for this because it adds that little onion tang without too much bite. A white or red onion will work, too.
- Feta Cheese – Feta cheese is quite salty, making it the perfect complement to a pasta salad in which the pasta absorbs some of the salt.
- Homemade Dressing – Made with olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper.
Variations And Additions
- Try adding in some more colorful ingredients like bell peppers, zucchini, or black olives for a loaded vegetarian pasta salad.
- Use a different small pasta, like star patina (great for the 4th of July!), shells, macaroni, orecchiette, ditalini, or even couscous. You can also use gluten-free pasta if you want.
- Add some protein by topping the pasta salad with grilled chicken or salmon.
- If you like a creamy dressing, you can add a little bit of mayonnaise to the dressing.
How To Make Broccoli Orzo Salad
There’s a little secret to making this dish super yummy. It’s all about the broccoli. It’s roasted to bring out all the natural goodness of the recipe’s star!
- Prep the broccoli and roast it in the oven until the tops are slightly charred.
- While the broccoli is roasting, cook the pasta according to the package directions and whisk or shake up the dressing.
- Add all the salad ingredients to a large bowl.
- Pour on the dressing, then toss.
Donya’s Success Tips
- Meal prep: If you have a big party coming up, you can make the pasta, broccoli, and dressing ahead of time and store them separately. Then, toss it all together an hour or so before serving.
- Make the dressing in a mason jar. It’s easy to shake up and makes storing effortless.
- Taste the salad and adjust the salt and pepper after it’s chilled for an hour or so.
Commonly Asked Questions
Nope, I recommend roasting the broccoli to add flavor and eliminate bitterness.
You can store this salad in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Even though this salad does not contain dairy, I wouldn’t leave it out for more than 2 hours. If possible, keep it on ice or in a cooler.
What To Serve With This Easy Pasta Salad
This summer salad recipe is excellent for outdoor gatherings since it has a no-mayo dressing. It’s so easy to make that it’s perfect for family gatherings, Southern-covered dish suppers, and buffets when you’re entertaining. Try it with my Crock Pot Pulled Pork, Roast Beef and Cheese Sandwiches, Easy Air Fryer Whole Chicken, and Grilled Flank Steak.
Try These Pasta Salad Recipes
If you tried this Broccoli Orzo Pasta Salad Recipe or any other recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks!
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups orzo pasta
- 4 cups broccoli, cut into pieces
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups grape tomatoes, sliced in half
- 4 green onions – sliced
- 6 ounces crumbled feta cheese
Dressing
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Heat oven to 450 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Place broccoli and garlic on pan and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Roast in the oven for 10 minutes until broccoli tops are slightly brown. Remove from the oven and let cool.
- While broccoli is roasting, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse.
- To a large bowl, add cooked pasta, broccoli, tomatoes, green onions and, the feta cheese.
- To a jar with a lid or a small bowl, add olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, salt and, pepper. Shake or whisk together. Pour dressing over all the ingredients. Toss together.
- Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
- You can store this salad in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
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Jackie Bryan
I made this salad with mini penne and substituted 2 T of freshly squeezed lemon juice for 2 T of the red wine vinegar as we really love lemon. It was delicious. The toasted broccoli and garlic added so much extra flavor. I will be making this again.
Sounds good, Jackie!
~Donya
Jen
Fabulous! Great summer salad/side. Prepared as instructed and it was delicious!
Thank you, Jen!
~Donya
Mari-Ann
This is my second recipe of yours that I have made. I always follow a recipe to the tee and then make adjustments as I felt needed. Not with this recipe or the Caprese pasta salad. Perfect in every way!
This was fantastic! My son said it’s his favorite. Such a delicious mixture of great tastes. We’re taking on a camping trip for a light pasta salad in the heat of summer.
Love your recipes Donya! Wish we we neighbors!!!
Donya
Hey there Mari-Ann!
Wow! Words can’t express how happy it made me to read this, thank you so very much for your kind words! I am so thrilled you and your son enjoyed this recipe as well as my Caprese Salad, they were always a favorites of my family’s as well. I think this pasta salad is definitely perfect for a camping trip, it’ll be a nice and light dish for the summer heat like you said. Thank you so very much for your support, if you ever have any questions about a recipe feel free to leave a comment! I hope you’re having a great summer!
~Donya
Michelle Moore
Delicious and light. My family loved it when I brought it to our beach day picnic. Planning to make it again for a potluck meal. Highly recommend this salad. I substituted the feta for cheddar cheese as we aren’t fans of feta cheese.
Premila Dsouza
Very yummy and easy salad.
Thanks so much for sharing Premila. I’m thrilled that you liked the salad.
Have a wonderful day!
~Donya