Bring a pot of water to a boil, add salt, and cook the orzo according to the package instructions. Then drain and let it cool slightly.

Peel and finely chop the shallot and garlic, and wash and halve the tomatoes. Heat the olive oil in a pan, sauté the shallot and garlic with a generous pinch of salt until translucent, then add the tomatoes and cook for about 3–4 minutes.

Once some juice has accumulated in the pan, add the balsamic vinegar, reduce the heat, and let it simmer for 1 minute. Then add about 2–3 tablespoons of the pasta cooking water, season with salt, pepper, and, if desired, a pinch of chili flakes. Remove the dressing from the heat and let it cool.

Slice the sun-dried tomatoes into thin strips, halve the mozzarella balls (or crumble the feta), cut the olives in half or quarters, and wash the arugula thoroughly, then spin it dry.

For a cold orzo salad, first let the pasta and dressing cool completely. For a warm salad, simply toss all the salad ingredients with the pasta and dressing while still slightly warm. Then season with salt and pepper, garnish with basil, and serve.