The Simple Lemony Pasta Salad You’ll Make on Repeat

For me, the very best kind of pasta salad is one that doesn’t rely on gloppy mayo, heavy sauces, or complicated steps. This lemony orzo number is light, bright, and bold—a study in balance, built from pantry staples and perked up with a few fresh accents. A quick vinaigrette of balsamic and lemon juice is employed in two stages: First it's tossed with the just-cooked orzo so the pasta gets a head start on soaking up its flavors while it cools, then it's used to dress the salad before serving. From there, it’s a textural and flavor-rich mix: bitter radicchio for crunch and color, creamy chickpeas for heft, pickled banana peppers for tangy heat, and fresh basil to tie it all together. A handful of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano adds depth without overwhelming the salad’s delicate citrusy edge.

Proper Pasta Cooking for the Salad

Pasta salads have a reputation for being bland, soggy, or overdressed, but this version dodges all three pitfalls. The orzo’s small size makes it ideal for evenly absorbing the vinaigrette, and cooling it on a sheet pan prevents clumping while allowing excess moisture to evaporate so the pasta is tender but not mushy. Tossing the warm pasta with just a bit of the dressing while it cools ensures that the flavor penetrates each piece of pasta instead of sitting on the surface.

As our editorial director, Daniel, notes in his pasta salad tips, pasta that's cooked al dente and then served hot is perfetto, but pasta that's cooked al dente and served cold is a disgrace. That's because, as the cooked pasta cools, the starch in it goes through a process known as retrogradation, in which the starch molecules reform into a more solid crystalline structure, creating pasta that's unpleasantly stiff and tough along the outer edges—in essence, it rapidly becomes stale like bread.

The key to cooking pasta that has a better texture when served cool in a salad is to cook it about two minutes beyond the al dente stage, so that it's very soft (but not mushy) throughout. That way, once cooled down, it will firm up just enough to regain that desirable al dente texture without becoming tough. 

The Vegetables

While oftentimes cooked pasta and raw vegetables just don’t work well together—think crunchy bell peppers or celery paired with gloppy macaroni noodles—this pasta salad is the exception to the rule. Radicchio, often maligned for its bitterness, plays a crucial role here. Its color and crunch wake the salad up, acting as a counterpoint to the richness of the olive oil and cheese. The key to the radicchio’s success in this salad is dicing it into very fine pieces, not much larger than the orzo pieces themselves. This ensures it doesn’t overpower the orzo, and every bite of the salad scoops up easily on a spoon—yes, a spoon, not a fork, trust me here. If you’re someone who’s never quite known what to do with that half-head of radicchio in the fridge, this is a perfect way to use it without it dominating the dish. (And if you have leftover radicchio after making this dish, know that even cut radicchio holds up pretty well in the fridge and a small amount is a wonderful accent to all sorts of salads.) 

Chickpeas contribute both bulk and textural contrast, making the salad feel substantial enough to stand on its own. And the pickled banana peppers—tangy, briny, just a little spicy—deliver the kind of punch that keeps you coming back for bite after bite.

Serving and Substitution Suggestions

The real magic of this salad lies in its versatility. Prep it ahead and enjoy it for days; bulk it up with grilled chicken or shrimp; or swap in other vegetables and greens depending on the season and what you have on hand. For example, you can substitute arugula or endive for radicchio, or swap in capers or chopped olives for the banana peppers for a briny kick. This is a pasta salad that respects your time and rewards your palate. It’s flexible enough to be a make-ahead lunch, a cookout staple, or a companion to grilled meats or roasted vegetables. It’s adaptable, unfussy, and—most importantly—delicious.