Fresh Mozzarella Pasta Salad

  4.2 – 58 reviews  • Italian Pasta Salad Recipes

Anyone who enjoys chocolate and marshmallows will adore these brownies. Any social event will undoubtedly be a success.

Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 25 mins
Servings: 4
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

  1. 1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
  2. 1 ½ cups cubed fresh mozzarella cheese
  3. 2 fresh plum tomatoes, seeded and cut into bite-size pieces
  4. ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
  5. 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  6. salt to taste
  7. 1 tablespoon olive oil, or as needed

Instructions

  1. Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Stir in the orzo, and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, but still firm to the bite, about 10 minutes. Drain well, and let cool.
  2. Mix the mozzarella cheese cubes, tomatoes, basil, crushed red pepper flakes, and salt with olive oil in a salad bowl. Gently mix in the orzo pasta, and toss lightly to coat the ingredients with oil.

Nutrition Facts

Calories 370 kcal
Carbohydrate 43 g
Cholesterol 35 mg
Dietary Fiber 3 g
Protein 16 g
Saturated Fat 7 g
Sodium 69 mg
Sugars 3 g
Fat 14 g
Unsaturated Fat 0 g

Reviews

Emily Smith
The only thing I did differently was to use mozzarella pearls and cherry tomatoes. Delicious.
Dr. Thomas King Jr.
It was really great! The blend of flavors were a delightful surprise. It is a keeper!
Candace Santiago
I made this exactly as stated but I doubled it for my large family. All the adults loved it. The kids 4, 6, 10, and 14 were ok with it. It was a pain de-seeding 2 baskets of cherry tomatoes but the ready was easy. I chilled it overnight.
Donna Wall
The recipie as is, is a little bland. A very good base to go with.!
Keith Malone MD
This to almost too easy to make and so easy to dress up if you want to. The original recipe is a hit at my house and I just love it. It’s definitely a keeper.
Angela Goodman
Light and fresh! I used fresh lime basil from my garden and added a touch of pepper. Perfect!
Mr. Peter Pacheco DVM
Used grape tomatos I had. I made a Vinaigrette instead of just using olive oil. Vinaigrette was 3tb olive oil, 2 tb balsamic vinegar, 1 tb honey, splash of lemon, salt and pepper. We loved how it came out! I also didn’t add all the orzo i cooked – up to your preferences what ratio you like.
Nicholas Gomez
Fresh and tasty, and easy to throw together. I made as directed, but felt it needed something. When I ate this for lunch, I added a drizzle of a balsamic glaze, which really elevated this!
Zachary Solis
Like several others, I made some changes. I left out the red pepper flakes, but also added about 1 to 2 cups of steamed broccoli florets and a couple tablespoons of aged balsamic vinegar. I used one Rutgers tomato and one Heirloom tomato from our garden along with fresh picked basil. It was the perfect summer side dish. Next time I might add a little pepperoni for a slight kick. This dish is a winner!
Robert Booth
I added roasted butternut squash to give it some color and flavor and it was awesome.
Michael Johnson
Delicious! Made it exactly as the recipe calls, and it is wonderfully fresh and yummy.
Nichole Williams
I made this for a party that my cousin was having. The only thing I did differently was I sauteed fresh garlic in the olive oil and allowed to cool. Then, I followed the recipe. I also used some type of curly pasta instead of the orzo because it’s what I had. By the time I was leaving the party, there was about 2 servings left and though I had no intention of taking it home (only wanted my container) my aunt snapped at me and told me not to take the rest because more people were coming over. I took that as a compliment.:-) Thanks for the recipe!!
Karen Morales
Too plain
Adam Kerr
I used this recipe as a base to my pasta salad. I added a little garlic and balsamic vinegar. I also did not put in the red pepper because I was taking it to a potluck and there was a chance kids might eat it.
Grant Mclaughlin
DOUBLE YUM!!!
Gabriel Page
After tweaking this recipe a bit it made a very light & enjoyable side dish. Based on a Caprese type salad, it is missing the common balsamic vinegar and garlic. A traditional Caprese doesn’t use these ingredients but the addition of pasta really compels it to avoid the blandness. I used extra virgin olive oil and added 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper and 3 large cloves crushed/minced garlic. I subbed tomato-basil seasoned Feta cheese (since it was on sale). I let the salad rest in the refrigerator for 2 hours to give flavors a chance to meld and intensify (an hour would have been fine). The red pepper flakes need time to develop properly otherwise it is pointless to use. My husband and I will definitely make it again.
Nicole Church
Realizing.it could use more flavor, I added balsamic glaze. Perfect. Also cut down on the red pepper.
Morgan Skinner
I made this recipe as directed initially but like others I felt like it need something extra. I added roasted red pepper dressing and it was delicious, certainly a nice change from the traditional pasta salad. Next time I would use a little more fresh basil.
Daniel White
I liked the flavors of this dish as written. I made it again and added sliced black olives and chopped turkey pepperoni. YUM!
Jason Walters
Like others, I felt this needed some beefing up to make it a tastier salad. I doubled the basil and red pepper, and added about 2 Tbsp. of balsamic vinaigrette. Also, the next time I make it, I will probably increase the fresh mozz. to 2 cups. It seemed to get lost in all the orzo. Overall, a good side dish and easy to make ahead of time!
Christopher Brewer
In place of fresh tomatoes I used sun-dried tomatoes and the oil from their jar. It made a very light and colorful side dish to take to a Labor Day BBQ. I appreciated how truly quick and easy it was!

 

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