“A take on a traditional Caprese, but modified into a light summer pasta salad that goes great with anything off the grill, or just on its own. When I eat it on its own, I sometimes add about a cup of any chunked, cold sausage (I suggest pepperoni or a lighter summer sausage). Any pasta is fine, but I like the orzo's size. ” - by Meghan
Ingredients
Adjust Servings
Original recipe yields 4 servings
Directions
- 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.
- 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
Amount Per Serving (4 total)
- Calories
- 370 cal
- 18%
- Fat
- 14.4 g
- 22%
- Carbs
- 42.5 g
- 14%
Based on a 2,000 calorie diet
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Reviews (41)
Rate This Recipe
"Awesome and so easy! Since other reviewers said this was too bland, I just mixed the orzo, mozzarella, vine ripe tomatoes, and fresh basil with a little Italian dressing. Worked like a charm. Didn't n..." See moreeed the red pepper, olive oil, or anything else, but make sure the mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil are fresh!! Otherwise, there isn't any point of making this type of dish. Very good salad!"
BusyMomCooking
"MMM...this is one of my favorite recipes! We take it to all of our summer events. Yum, yum. Add pine nuts for a little twist...." See more"
naples34102
"The simple, beautiful and fresh Caprese salad is perfection on a plate in my view. Vine-ripened tomatoes, just-picked basil, and fresh mozzarella (the colors of the Italian flag) is a flavorful combin..." See moreation. Orzo, which we typically used as soup pasta as I grew up, has gained enormous popularity in delis and homes everywhere as a side dish, be it hot, cold or room temperature. It would seem, then, that pairing the orzo with the Caprese would be a match made in heaven. But while hubs and I did enjoy this, we both felt it fell a little short of perfection, needing something we couldn't quite put our fingers on. Lemon juice maybe? I did leave out the red pepper flakes, and had I included it I think a teaspoon would be WAY overkill. Tip: Basil oxidizes and turns black quickly after cutting. I found that coating it with a little olive oil first helps prevent that! This was definitely a decent pasta salad, but I think maybe I just prefer my Caprese salad straight up! "
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