This Pesto Orzo Salad is made with tender orzo pasta, juicy cherry tomatoes, hearty chickpeas, and fresh herbs all tossed together in a dreamy, arugula pesto dressing. Get out your favorite serving bowl and prepare to dig into this delicious easy side or light dinner main. Table of Contents Pasta Salad Meets Homemade Pesto What Is Orzo Salad Made Of? Like any pasta, orzo is typically made with wheat but can also be made whole grain or gluten-free. I've even seen it made with bean flour. Why Is Orzo So Popular? Because of its grain-like shape, it's an easy pasta to make pasta salad with. It's also quite versatile and can be used in everything from soups to salads.
Orzo Pesto Salad With Tomatoes & Fresh Mozzarella Kelly Neil
Email Jump to Recipe Print Recipe Ready in around 15 minutes, this orzo salad with pesto is such an easy side dish for a midweek meal or summer BBQ. Made with just orzo pasta, basil pesto, fresh spinach and tangy parmesan, it may be simple but it's also beautifully fresh and flavorful. This Easy Orzo Salad with Pesto is a refreshing salad that combines tender orzo pasta with flavorful pesto, mozzarella pearls, and fresh tomatoes. Simple and delicious, it's a perfect summertime side dish or light dinner! Salads are the perfect summer meal to embrace the abundance of fresh produce and create a light and refreshing meal. Salt. Ideas for simplifying the ingredients Use a good store bought pesto. Buy fresh cherry or grape tomatoes. use store bought basil for garnish. Directions Start by boiling your pasta water, add at least one tablespoon of salt to the water. Ingredients Orzo - Dried; cooked to al dente. Pesto - Use a good-quality basil pesto. Mayonnaise - Any kind will work. Parmesan cheese - Grated or shredded. Grape tomatoes - Cut in half. Pearl mozzarella - Or regular mozzarella, diced. Sundried tomatoes - Finely sliced. Green onions - White and green parts; sliced. Lemon - Fresh lemon juice.
Orzo Pesto Pasta Salad Lynn's Way of Life
Pesto Orzo Salad is packed with flavorful ingredients like juicy cherry tomatoes, briny kalamata olives, baby spinach, and creamy mozzarella pearls. The pasta is coated with a tasty pesto dressing that can be made with homemade or store bought basil pesto. 🍳Recipe 💬 Reviews 🌟Why You'll Love this Recipe 20 minutes to make. This fresh dish is prepared and cooked in only 20 minutes for an easy main dish salad or light side dish. Fresh ingredients. This recipe only uses a handful of ingredients that are fresh and light. Bring a large pot of salted water to a strong boil over high heat. Add the orzo and cook just shy of al dente, about 1-2 minutes short of the package directions. Drain the pasta and do not rinse. Immediately transfer the hot pasta to a large bowl. Add the pesto, lemon juice, vinegar, and salt, stirring to combine. Roll up into a tube, and slice into thin ribbons. Reserve ¼ cup of cooking liquid, then drain orzo when tender. Rinse well, then pour orzo into a large mixing bowl. Stir in pesto and extra cooking liquid (if needed to keep the sauce creamy). Stir in mozzarella, tomatoes, and olives. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Easy Grilled Vegetable Orzo Salad Last Ingredient
Step 1: Bring a large pot of water and 1-2 Tablespoons of salt to a boil. Boil the orzo according to the package instructions. While the orzo cooks, in a large bowl, combine the chickpeas, cucumber, onion, tomatoes, feta, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Step 2: Strain the orzo and rinse it under cold water. Rinse the orzo with cool water and drain twice more. Place the drained, cooled orzo in a large bowl. Stir in the pesto. Depending on how thick you pesto is, you may need to add some olive oil to loosen up the pasta. Drizzle olive oil in as needed. Halve the cherry tomatoes and tear the basil leaves into small pieces.
Only 10 ingredients (including salt & pepper!): This recipe uses easy to find ingredients, like orzo pasta, baby spinach, tomatoes, and bocconcini cheese. Make ahead friendly: This orzo pesto salad keeps well in the fridge for easy weekday lunches on the go. It's also a great make-ahead dish for entertaining. Ingredients (and substitutes) The cooked orzo is tossed in a homemade pesto made without pine nuts and is topped with cucumber, bell pepper, sweet cherry tomatoes, and mini mozzarella balls. However, you can also use store-bought pesto if you want. This recipe is so customizable and easy.
Caprese Pesto Orzo Salad Get On My Plate Delicious, Easy Recipes
Ingredients Orzo. Orzo is that small pasta that kind of looks like rice. Artichokes in water. To keep this salad from getting too oily, I use artichokes packed in water. Cherry tomatoes. Juicy cherry tomatoes are so sweet, but you can use chopped tomatoes, too. English cucumber. One large English cucumber yields about 2 cups chopped. This orzo pesto salad is made using just five ingredients including flavorful pesto sauce, fresh vegetables, and is an easy 25 minute recipe! I love this flavor-packed pesto orzo recipe. It's perfect to enjoy as an entree, a side dish, and travels well making it a great option for a picnic or cookout.
