My Mom’s Rosa Marina Fruit Salad Is a Retro Favorite I Still Love

It’s a beloved classic.

By
Lou Perseghin
Lou Perseghin
Lou Perseghin
Lou Perseghin is a stay-at-home Dad, a home cook with 15+ years of experience, and a culinary content creator. His work is featured on Simply Recipes.
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Published June 10, 2025
Lou Perseghin
Rosa marina salad garnished with cherries in a bowl

Simply Recipes / Frank Tiu

As a kid, I became well acquainted with Rosa Marina fruit salad during summer car rides. Picture me and a huge salad bowl in the back seat, heading to some sort of picnic. My mom got her version of this recipe from a friend’s mom in 1989, and after testing, I’ve worked to improve its basic process.

This version of a childhood favorite holds the same magic now as it did for me then.

What Is Rosa Marina Fruit Salad?

Rosa Marina fruit salad is a riff on ambrosia salad, which has Southern roots dating back to the 1800s. “Rosa Marina” is another name for orzo pasta, which is a unique component of this creamy, sweet dish. The pasta provides a chewy, tender bite along with sweet pineapple, mandarin oranges, and maraschino cherries. It all gets swathed in cool, creamy whipped topping and a sauce made with fruit juice for body and richness.

Though there are many versions of this recipe, I made a couple of tweaks to make my favorite rendition. Keeping the fruit and pasta separate until just before serving allows more time for the fruit to drain, making for a salad without excess liquid that pools in the bottom of the bowl. And adding an extra egg yolk to the sauce adds a pleasantly custardy element to the finished dish.

Bowl of creamy salad garnished with cherries

Simply Recipes / Frank Tiu

Tips for Making Rosa Marina Fruit Salad

  • This recipe makes a surprising volume as-is (serving six to eight), and also scales well for large summer potlucks.
  • Look for canned fruit that’s packed in 100% fruit juice. If you can only find fruit in syrup, reduce the sugar in the recipe to 1/2 cup.
  • If you prefer to use fresh fruit instead of canned, use a mix of pitted fresh cherries, mandarin orange slices, and diced fresh pineapple; you’ll need about 35 ounces (just over 2 pounds) of fresh fruit total. Use 1 cup of your favorite fruit juice to make the custard.
  • Plan ahead: this salad needs at least 4 hours to chill. It’s even better if you can chill it overnight before serving.

Make It Your Own

  • This salad format works wonderfully with fresh seasonal fruit like raspberries, blueberries, or wintertime citrus. Incorporate them as you wish!
  • You can enhance the flavor of the fruit juice with a splash of vanilla extract or your favorite liqueur, or a pinch of warm spice like nutmeg; just stir in any additions after cooking the sauce with the eggs.
  • For more bulk and textural contrast, add mini marshmallows, chopped toasted nuts and/or shredded coconut.
Bowls of Rosa Marina salad garnished with cherries

Simply Recipes / Frank Tiu

Rosa Marina Fruit Salad

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Chilling Time 4 hrs
Total Time 4 hrs 30 mins
Servings 6 to 8 servings
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces orzo pasta

  • 1 (20-ounce) can pineapple tidbits packed in 100% juice

  • 2 (11-ounce) cans or 1 (20-ounce) can mandarin orange segments packed in 100% juice

  • 15 maraschino cherries

  • 1 cup sugar

  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  • 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk

  • 1 (12-ounce) container whipped topping

Method

  1. Cook the pasta:

    Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Cook the orzo until soft, about 1 minute longer than the package directions for al dente. Drain the pasta, then set in a large bowl in the refrigerator to cool.

  2. Drain the fruit:

    Set a fine-mesh strainer over a medium bowl. Drain the pineapple tidbits and mandarin oranges through the strainer, reserving the liquid. Combine the drained fruit with the maraschino cherries in an airtight container and transfer to the refrigerator.

  3. Make the custard:

    In a medium heatproof bowl, whisk the sugar, flour, egg, and yolk until smooth. Add 1 cup of the reserved fruit juice to a small saucepan. Bring to a low simmer over medium-low heat (it should be steaming but not bubbling).

    While whisking constantly, slowly drizzle 3 tablespoons of the warm juice into the egg mixture to warm it through. Transfer the egg mixture to the saucepan and cook, whisking often, until slightly thickened, 2 to 4 minutes.

  4. Assemble and chill:

    Stir the sauce into the cooled pasta, breaking up any stuck-together clumps and thoroughly coating the pasta. Cover and refrigerate until fully chilled, at least 4 hours and ideally overnight. If your whipped topping is frozen, move it to the fridge at this time.

  5. Add the fruit and serve:

    When ready to serve, drain the reserved fruit of any accumulated liquid, then stir the fruit and whipped topping into the pasta. Serve cold.

    Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Before serving, drain any pooled liquid and stir to reincorporate everything.

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
369 Calories
12g Fat
63g Carbs
5g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 369
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 12g 15%
Saturated Fat 10g 48%
Cholesterol 35mg 12%
Sodium 29mg 1%
Total Carbohydrate 63g 23%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Total Sugars 47g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 22mg 109%
Calcium 25mg 2%
Iron 1mg 7%
Potassium 204mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.