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Pasta salad with roasted tomatoes in a white bowl with a wooden spoon.

Pasta Salad with Roasted Tomatoes

4.84 from 6 votes
This delicious Pasta Salad with Roasted Tomatoes is a perfect light pasta salad for summer BBQ's and get togethers! Slow roasted tomatoes are combined with pasta, olives and basil. Everything is drizzled with a simple, fresh, lemon-based dressing that just screams SUMMER!!
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Prep Time:15 mins
Cook Time:2 hrs
Total Time:2 hrs 15 mins
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Keyword: orzo salad, roasted tomatoes, side dish
Servings: 8
Calories: 349kcal
Author: Casey Rooney

Ingredients

For the dressing

  • 1/3 cup white wine vinegar red wine vinegar works, too!
  • 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice about 2 large lemons
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tsp dried oregano or Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp sea salt or kosher salt
  • 1 tsp sugar

For the orzo salad

  • 1 lb. orzo pasta any shape pasta works
  • 2 pints roasted tomatoes See Note 1
  • 1 cup kalamata olives, sliced
  • 1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn or roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
  • red pepper flakes or freshly ground black pepper optional

Instructions

  • Boil orzo (or other pasta) according to al dente, according to package directions.
  • While pasta is cooking, in a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients for the dressing. Set aside.
  • Drain pasta and run under cold water to stop cooking and help cool down the pasta quickly.
  • Add pasta to a large serving bowl. Then, add kalamata olives, roasted cherry tomatoes, basil leaves and Parmesan cheese. Toss everything with the dressing until pasta is well coated. Add red pepper flakes or fresh ground pepper, if you like.
  • Serve immediately or refrigerate. I like serving this salad at room temperature, so pull it out of the fridge 30-60 minutes before you are ready to serve. Pasta salad keeps great in the fridge and can be made up to 24 hours in advance.

Notes

Note 1: See my recipe for Air Fryer Roasted Tomatoes.
  • If you don't want to take the time to roast tomatoes, you can use fresh tomatoes such a sweet cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes or even chopped heirloom tomatoes. You won't get the sweet flavor of the roasted tomatoes, but it will save you a bit of time. You can also substitute in jarred sun dried tomatoes.
 
Nutrition information is only an estimate. Info is based on the Very Well Fit Nutrition Calculator.

Nutrition

Calories: 349kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 10.4g | Fat: 13.1g | Saturated Fat: 2.6g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 453mg | Potassium: 255mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6.2g | Calcium: 102mg | Iron: 3mg