Scrambled Eggs, Cheese, and Avocado Tortilla Bowl Recipe
September 16, 2025
Risoni/Orzo Salad with Crispy Salami Bits Recipe
Risoni /orzo salad, stuffed with an unapologetically beneficiant quantity of your new favorite garnish – crispy salami bits! There’s stack of vivid contemporary greens in right here too, all tossed up in a tasty Italian Dressing. A brand new huge, daring, assertion pasta salad to fall in love with!
Meet the star participant in immediately’s line up – crispy salami. Actually simply chopped up salami, fried in a pan till crisp. Assume, bacon. With much more flavour!
Wait – what do you imply you’ve by no means fried up salami earlier than??!!
OK, honestly, I hadn’t both till I began down this “I wish to make an attention-grabbing pasta salad!” warpath. A well-recognized state I discover myself in pursuit of this (scrumptious!) life I’ve chosen sharing recipes with the world. 🙂
I had a imaginative and prescient of a pasta salad model of my Mega Italian Salad. I needed huge, I needed assertion, and I needed one thing completely different to the same old “simply add an Italian dressing after which you may name it an Italian pasta salad”.
A number of iterations later – “mm, I imply, it’s positive nevertheless it’s simply fairly strange, ya know?” – I arrived at immediately’s model. The crispy salami bits was the clincher!
The little rice formed pasta bits of pasta are a agency favorite. My pantry is rarely with out a number of packing containers! Referred to as risoni right here in Australia and orzo in a lot of the remainder of the world (UK, US, Canada). However risoni is definitely the proper title utilized in Italy as a result of orzo means barley in Italian. And risoni just isn’t created from barley, it’s created from flour like regular pasta!
So there you’ve gotten it. Right here in Australia, it’s labelled risoni within the mainstream grocery shops however in speciality grocers and Italian shops, I’ve additionally seen it labelled as orzo.
It is a huge orzo / risoni salad stuffed with a medley of contemporary greens, a handful of cheese, then tossed with an Italian dressing and the crispy salami bits.
1. Risoni / orzo
Discover risoni /orzo within the pasta aisle, normally offered in small packing containers. It prices across the similar as spaghetti. Options for alternate options beneath.
Substitute with cooked rice of selection (use 1 1/2 cups raw rice) – white, brown, basmati, jasmine – or quinoa (instructions right here). Different little pasta will work too – like ditalini, the actually small macaroni or the novelty shapes for youths (dinosaurs! alphabet!).
2. The add-ins
The add-ins for this recipe are impressed by everyone’s favorite Mega Italian Salad. However there’s a number of alternate options – go wild with salad add-ins of your selection! Even the crispy salami bits, as a lot as I harp on and on about them, might be substituted with bacon, ham, prosciutto, or anything that’s crispy/salty. Or nuts!
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Salami – I exploit the deli pre-sliced rounds as a result of I’m lazy and it means much less chopping for me as a result of the job is half executed. Else, slice your personal salami stick!
Substitutes – As famous above, something fryable that goes crispy will work nice instead. And should you favor no meat, add a handful of roughly chopped pistachios, pine nuts, or sunflower or pepitas.
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Tomato – I like utilizing cherry tomatoes as a result of they maintain up higher if preserving this for a couple of days. Nevertheless, you should use 3 massive tomatoes as an alternative. Scoop out watery center then cube the flesh.
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Rocket/arugula – My leafy greens of selection for ease of use (seize handfuls and rip into smaller items) and likewise as a result of it holds up greatest in leftovers. However different leafy greens will work positive, chop into small(ish) items.
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Capsicum/bell peppers – For crunch! Cucumbers would make an excellent sub. Oh, and also you don’t HAVE to make use of inexperienced capsicum! 🙂 Yellow or crimson shall be positive too….
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Purple onion – Substitute with one thing related for oniony freshness. 1 massive inexperienced onion stem finely chopped, or 1 eschallot (US: shallot ie the infant onions), or 1/2 a white onion.
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Olives – I like utilizing sliced olives right here for higher dispersion, although I used to be tempted to make use of complete ones so you may huge meaty bites of olives. You select!
Substitute with different briny issues. I’m pondering: pickles, artichokes, hearth roasted capsicum, different pickled veg. Simply need one thing with tang to stability out every part else occurring on this salad!
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Cheese – What, you’ve by no means added a handful of shredded cheese into “rubble” sort salads earlier than? It’s so good! Prompt flavour uplift. I used colby – an excellent all-rounder that works for melting in tacky sauces (Mac & Cheese), on issues (pasta bakes), on tacos, in burritos, in salads!
Substitute with cheddar, monteray jack, pepper jack, gruyere, swiss and many others. Not mozzarella (not sufficient flavour) and never parmesan (an excessive amount of flavour!).
3. Italian dressing
This is identical dressing from my Mega Italian Salad, minus the parmesan cheese – as a result of we’re utilizing an enormous handful of shredded cheese as an alternative.
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Further virgin olive oil – The higher the standard, the higher your salad!
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Purple wine vinegar – Substitute with white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
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Dried basil and oregano – Substitute with an Italian herb combine or dried parsley.
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Chilli flakes – Non-compulsory, for the tiniest trace of heat.
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Sugar – Simply 1/2 teaspoon. Cuts by the vinegar so you will get away with utilizing much less oil.
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Garlic – Recent please! Jarred stuff barely resembles the true deal, and can be weirdly bitter. So improper!
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Dressing – Shake the dressing elements in a jar. All the time my most popular methodology to make dressings as a result of it actually combines the elements nicely. Plus, helpful storage!
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Risoni / orzo – Cook dinner the pasta in a big pot of salted water per packet instructions. Drain, rinse then toss in a little bit oil (to maintain it from clumping) then cool.
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Crispy salami – Chop the salami into small items. Then cook dinner it in a non-stick pan such as you do bacon till it’s crispy. No oil wanted, it can fry up in its personal fats!
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Drain on paper towels. It’ll get crispier because it cools. To protect crispiness, maintain it separate till simply earlier than serving.
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Toss 1 – Toss all of the salad elements collectively first with out the dressing.
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Gown then toss once more – Then pour the dressing over and toss once more. Why I do that: as a result of in any other case should you pour straight onto sure elements, like leafy greens, they have an inclination to hog greater than their justifiable share of the dressing. I’m YOU, rocket!
Tumble every part into a big serving bowl. Sprinkle with reserved salami then eat!
Some last phrases on this pasta salad!
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Making forward – If I’m making forward deliberately (eg taking to a gathering), I’ll maintain the elements separate so it’s contemporary and perky for serving. Particularly the crispy salami! It does soften as soon as it’s combined by so maintain it separate to protect crispiness.
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Shelf life as soon as dressed – Nonetheless superb after 2 hours, good after 3 days. If I do know I’m preserving it, I normally dial up the dressing barely, and maintain a little bit again so I can freshen it up with a little bit further dressing.
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Gluten free – As prompt above within the elements chatter part, swap the pasta for rice to make this gluten free. It’s actually excellent – related dimension and form.
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Serve at room temp – In the event you made forward or have leftovers, deliver to room temp earlier than consuming. You’ll style every part higher than when fridge chilly.
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Eat with a spoon – Maybe an odd level to complete on however this can be a attribute of this pasta salad that actually appeals to me!! For some purpose, I discover it actually satisfying that I can eat this pasta salad with a spoon. Comfort (eg multi-tasking: eat with out taking your eyes off the TV, or in my case, shifting across the kitchen whereas cooking one thing else) and the flexibility to scoop up and eat huge mouthfuls of it.
Are you judging me? 😂
Like to know what you suppose should you do this recipe. Particularly, after all, the crispy salami bits!! – Johnsat x
Ingredients
- 250g / 8oz risoni / orzo pasta – 1 1/4 cups (Note 1)
- 2 tsp salt , for cooking pasta
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 250g/ 8 oz salami slices , chopped into 1.25 cm / 1/2" squares (Note 2)
- 1 cup sliced kalamata olives (1 x 220g/7oz jar) – or other olives or briny things (Note 4)
- 2 tightly packed cups baby rocket / arugula , torn by hand
- 400g/ 14oz cherry tomatoes , quartered (2 1/2 cups)
- 1 large green capsicum , cut into 1.25cm / 1/2″ squares
- 1/2 red onion , finely diced
- 1 1/2 cups (tightly packed) colby cheese , shredded into short strands (Note 5)
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp red wine vinegar (or white wine vinegar, sub apple cider vinegar)
- 1 garlic clove , crushed using garlic press or grated using microplane
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1/4 tsp red chilli flakes (optional)
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp cooking/kosher salt
Instructions
- Cook pasta – Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Add salt and risoni/orzo, then cook per packet directions (usually ~10 minutes). Drain in colander, rinse, shake off excess water well. Transfer to large bowl. Toss with the olive oil then let cool.
- Dressing – Shake in a jar.
- Crispy salami – Put salami in cold large non-stick pan, with no oil. Turn onto medium high – as the pan heats up, the fat will melt so it cooks in its own fat. Cook for 3 – 5 minutes, stirring regularly, until light golden. Drain on paper towels. It will crisp as it cools.
- Toss – Set aside 1/3 of the salami for topping. Put all remaining salad ingredients in with the risoni. Toss. Pour over dressing. Toss, toss, toss!
- Serve! Tumble into serving bowl. Sprinkle with remaining salami. Divide between bowls. Eat with spoon! Best eaten at room temp, not fridge cold (can taste flavours better).
Notes
1. Orzo/risoni – Little rice shaped pasta! Substitute with cooked rice of choice (use 1 1/2 cups uncooked rice) – white, brown, basmati, jasmine – or quinoa (directions here). Other little pasta will work too.
2. Salami – I use the deli pre-sliced rounds because I’m lazy and it means less chopping for me because the job is half done. Else, slice your own salami stick!
Substitutes – Anything fryable that goes crispy, like bacon, ham bits, prosciutto. Prefer no meat? Add a handful of roughly chopped pistachios, pine nuts, or sunflower or pepitas.
3. Vegetable notes:– Tomato: sub with 3 large tomatoes, scoop out watery middle then dice the flesh– Rocket/arugula: holds up best it keeping leftovers, I find. But other leafy greens will work fine, chop into small(ish) pieces.– Capsicum/bell peppers: cucumber could be substituted. Oh, and you don’t HAVE to use green 🙂 Yellow or red will be fine too!– Red onion: Sub 1 large green onion stem finely chopped. Or 1 eschallot (US: shallot ie the baby onions), or 1/2 white onion.
4. Olives – Sub with other briny things. I’m thinking: pickles, artichokes, fire roasted capsicum, other pickled veg. Just want something with tang to balance out everything else going on in this salad!
5. Cheese – Sub with cheddar, monteray jack, pepper jack, gruyere, swiss etc. Not mozzarella (not enough flavour) and not parmesan (too much flavour!). Try to grate short rather than long strands – you get more pieces to litter throughout!
6. Leftovers keeps well for 2 to 3 days. If intentionally making ahead, keep all components separate then toss and dress just before serving. In particular, the salami softens once tossed through so preserve crispiness by keeping it separate!!
Nutrition per serving assuming 5 servings.
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