Spring Orzo Pasta Salad, Lemon Vinaigrette and Feta
If you're a fan of orzo pasta and fresh spring flavors, this Spring Orzo Pasta Salad is perfect to make to serve at a gathering, for meal prep lunches, or as a side dish with your favorite protein at dinner! It's bright and full of fresh flavors from herbs, spring veggies, briny olives and capers, feta cheese, and a lemony dressing!
Equipment
- 1 saucepan
Ingredients
- 4 oz dry orzo pasta (~⅔ cup)
- 8-10 stalks asparagus, cut into about 1 inch pieces (~1 cup once cut)
- ½ cup green peas (frozen is fine)
- 1 cup arugula, finely chopped (measured before chopping)
- ¼ cup fresh parsley (measured before chopping)
- 2 tablespoon fresh dill (measured before chopping)
- 2 tablespoon fresh mint (measured before chopping)
- 1½ tablespoon kalamata olives, chopped (~6 olives)
- ½ tablespoon capers, chopped
- 1 tablespoon pistachios, chopped
- ¼ cup feta cheese, crumbled
Dressing Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (about half a large lemon or 1 small)
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoon shallot, finely chopped (measured after chopping)
- 2 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoon honey
- ½ teaspoon dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder (or 1 garlic clove, grated)
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt (more to taste)
- pinch black pepper
Instructions
- To prep the ingredients, finely chop the fresh herbs and arugula, capers, olives, pistachios, and shallot. For the asparagus spears, trim off the woody ends and cut into about 1 inch long pieces.
- Prep the dressing: add the dressing ingredients to a small dish or mason jar. Whisk it or shake it until everything is emulsified. Set aside for now.
- Blanch the asparagus and peas by prepping a bowl of iced water and bringing a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the asparagus first and cook for about 2 minutes. Then add the peas and cook for another 30 seconds. Immediately transfer them to the bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process and lock in their bright green color. I use a spider strainer for this.
- Cook the orzo by bringing a pot of water to a boil. I just pour out the water from the veggies and use the same pot. Be sure to salt your pasta water! Add the orzo and turn down heat to a simmer. Cook until al dente, about 7-10 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process. While it’s still warm, toss the orzo pasta in about half of the dressing.
- Add the remaining ingredients including the asparagus, peas, olives, caper, pistachios, herbs, arugula, and feta cheese. Top with the remaining dressing and toss.
- Hint: This salad is best served fresh, but if you're making it in advance wait to add the remaining dressing and feta cheese right before serving.
Video
Notes
Expert Tips
- When it comes to how to chop the veggies for this salad, I like to finely chop the herbs, arugula, olives, capers, and pistachios because the orzo pasta is so small it can become overpowered by roughly chopped herbs. I do the asparagus into about 1 inch pieces.
- To make it easier to chop everything, I bundle the herbs and arugula and chop it all together.
- Don't forget to salt your blanching water and pasta water.
- Add half the dressing to the orzo pasta while it's still warm and then add the remaining dressing when you're ready to assemble and serve the pasta salad. Dressing it in layers like this helps make it more flavorful.
- This spring orzo pasta salad is lightly dressed. If you like more dressing, double up on the dressing recipe and add as much as you want!
- Prep - chop everything ahead of time and make the dressing in advance. That way all that's left to do when you're ready to make it is blanch the veggies and cook the orzo pasta.
- Storage - store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. I suggest storing the salad ingredients separately from the dressing if you're making it in advance.
For more nutrition information and tips, visit mallorythedietitian.com. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! 😊
Nutrition
Serving: 1 cup (approximate)Calories: 250kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 7gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 340mgFiber: 4g
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