Fresh and juicy baby tomatoes, sweet white onion and fresh summer zucchini oven roasted and mixed into al dente orzo with creamy, smooth goat cheese to finish it off. This Roasted Tomato and Goat Cheese Salad with caramelized veggies is sure to be on repeat in your summer recipe rotation.
This post may contain affiliate links; please read my disclosure policy.
Oh my Orzo!
Pasta salad is a classic favorite. Hearty noodles with plenty of mix-ins and a tasty dressing to coat it all. Pasta Salad makes for a great side at a barbecue, a tasty lunch with some protein on top, or even as a snack all on its own.
But don’t feel restricted to penne, fusilli, or macaroni noodles in a pasta salad. Switch it up with orzo, which is a very short grain that looks similar to rice, but is actually pasta. Orzo has a lovely, soft texture and is super easy to cook as compared to risotto, which it is often mistaken for.
The orzo alone, however, isn’t the star of this dish. We’ve got oven roasted, caramelized tomatoes, quite literally bursting with juices and flavor. I love Nature Sweets Tomatoes which are the perfect size, super fresh, and slightly sweet.
The baby tomatoes are baked alongside sweet white onion and fresh garden zucchinis and mixed together with creamy, smooth goat cheese for a perfect balance of flavors.
Ingredients needed for Goat Cheese Orzo Pasta Salad
Orzo - Orzo is a rice shaped pasta with a fun texture. Its small size works great for pasta salad because it mixes well with all of the other ingredients.
Baby tomatoes - A delicious summer fruit (yes tomatoes are fruit!) that gets perfectly caramelized when roasted in olive oil. I used Nature Sweets which are SO flavorful.
Zucchini - More summer produce to highlight eating seasonal.
White Onion - gives this Orzo Pasta Salad a little bite without being as strong as a red onion.
Corn - You can use fresh or frozen. If you’re willing to husk and cut kernels off a fresh corn on the cob, I highly recommend it to maximize seasonal freshness!
Olive Oil - Oil will coat the veggies prior to roasting to help them get soft and caramelized.
Italian Seasoning - Store bought is most convenient, but a mixture of thyme, basil, rosemary, and oregano is what we are looking for.
Spinach - You can use as much or as little as you want to get those greens in. This is wilted by the warm orzo so no actual cooking is required.
Goat Cheese - Goat cheese has a creamy, buttery flavor that pairs great with roasted tomatoes in this pasta salad. The cheese becomes melty when mixed with the warm ingredients, almost like a cheese sauce.
Kitchen equipment & tools needed
To make this Roasted Tomato and Goat Cheese Orzo Pasta Salad you will need a large baking dish, a strainer, a sauce pot, a cutting board, and a knife,.
How to make Tomato Goat Cheese Orzo Pasta Sald
- First heat a pot of water on medium heat and bring to a boil. Ensure the pot is large enough to cook the orzo properly.
- Add orzo to boiling water and cook 1-2 minutes less than recommended box instructions. We want it al dente.
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Wash and dice sweet onion, summer zucchini, and halve tomatoes.
- Add one tablespoon of olive oil to a pyrex baking dish. Add onions, zucchini, tomatoes, and corn to the dish. Mix vegetables so they’re evenly coated in oil. Sprinkle italian seasoning and toss again. Roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes.
- Once the orzo is finished cooking, strain and rinse with cold water.
- Remove the vegetables from the oven and add the cooked orzo to the baking dish.
- Then add goat cheese crumbles, another tablespoon of olive oil and fresh spinach to the dish. Toss everything together (the goat cheese will melt due to the hot vegetables) and serve fresh warm or cold.
If serving later, be sure to add dressing of choice as the orzo will soak up the fresh olive oil and goat cheese spread.
Roasted Tomato and Goat Cheese Orzo Pasta Salad FAQs
Store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Note: The orzo will absorb a lot of the flavors and goat cheese when left to sit. Simply toss with your favorite dressing prior to serving to ensure the flavor is all there.
Don’t overcook your orzo. You want it al dente. Overcooked orzo will be mushy and stick together, which is not ideal for this Roasted Tomato Orzo Pasta Salad.
Use good olive oil! The drizzle of oil at the end enhances this dish and a nice olive oil really makes a difference.
Traditional pasta salad is served cold like a lettuce salad would be, and this orzo is fabulous chilled. That said, I’ve also had it warm and with the charred tomato and goat cheese that becomes so creamy when heated, I can assure you it works deliciously as a hot dish as well.
This dish goes great with grilled chicken, grilled shrimp, or if you're vegetarian, mix in some chickpeas or white beans.
Absolutely. Penne, fusilli, or macaroni noodles would all work great. If you’re gluten free, use a chickpea noodle (I love Banza) rice noodle. I also think using Right Rice would be tasty and mimic the shape of orzo.
More Pasta Salads to love
Lemon Arugula Couscous Pasta Salad
Roasted Tomato and Goat Cheese Orzo Salad
Equipment
- Sauce pot
- strainer
- 9 x 13 baking dish
- Knife
- Cutting Board
- Mixing spoon
Ingredients
- 2 cups dry orzo
- 15 oz baby tomatoes
- 1 medium zucchini squash
- 1 medium white onion
- 1 cup corn, fresh or frozen
- 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 4 oz goat cheese
- 2 cups spinach
Instructions
- First, heat a medium sized pot of water and bring to a boil.
- Add orzo to boiling water and cook 1-2 minutes less than recommended box instructions. We want it al dente.
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Wash and dice sweet onion, summer zucchini, and halve tomatoes.
- Add one tablespoon of olive oil to a pyrex baking dish. Add onions, zucchini, tomatoes, and corn to the dish. Mix vegetables so they’re evenly coated in oil. Sprinkle Italian seasoning and toss again. Roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes.
- Once the orzo is finished cooking, strain and rinse with cold water. Rinsing will help the pasta from sticking together.
- Remove the vegetables from the oven and add the cooked orzo to the baking dish.
- Then add goat cheese crumbles, another tablespoon of olive oil and fresh spinach to the dish. Toss everything together (the goat cheese will melt due to the hot vegetables) and serve warm or cold.
Notes
I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. It’s my passion to create dishes that can be shared with others. Tell me something you loved, something that you think it might need, or just say hi!
Looking for this in MyFitnessPal?
If you're using MyFitnessPal, search 'A Paige Of Positivity' and find ROASTED TOMATO AND GOAT CHEESE ORZO PASTA SALAD calories and nutrition facts
1 serving: 68 grams Carbs | 11 gram Fat | 13 grams Protein
**Disclaimer: for most accurate macronutrients and caloric breakdown, it is recommended that you input each ingredient into your MyFitnessPal food diary.
SHOP THIS POST!
Note: The links above will open in Amazon.com
I love this recipe! I added in more vegetables and it was TASTY!
I made this recipe with Right Rice instead of orzo and WOWZA. Will definitely be making again.
Just made this recipe with some grilled chicken and it was DELICIOUS! I had it warm and really enjoyed it!
A treat for the tastebuds which can be bored with a regular lunch
I have made this salad about five times now. It's so amazing! I'm a pasta lover and this is perfect for lunch or dinner. And so light!
I made this with cavatelli pasta instead of orzo and it was YUMMY. Meal prepped multiple servings for lunch/dinner throughout the week and it was great. Will definitely be making again!
SO good! Even my vegetable hating husband liked it. Roasting the veggies is a game changer.
Soo good for meal prep or any easy dinner!!
Very yummy and easy to put together. Brought this to a neighborhood party and everyone wanted the recipe!