Pesto Orzo Pasta Salad

This delicious Pesto Orzo Pasta Salad is packed with fresh veggies, chickpeas, and so much flavor. If you’re looking for a hearty side dish or filling lunch then you will love this recipe.

Why You’ll Love This Delicious Pesto Orzo Pasta Salad

• It’s hearty – this Pesto Orzo Pasta Salad isn’t your typical pasta salad! isn’t your typical It’s packed with hearty additions like chickpeas for extra protein, salty feta, crisp arugula, and plenty of other crunchy veggies.
• It’s full of flavor – not only is this salad extra hearty, it’s also full on flavor! The addition of extra goodies like capers and grilled artichoke hearts just add so much extra flavor to the orzo.
• It’s SO EASY to make – personally, one of my favorite things about all pasta salads is how easy they are to make. Just add all of the ingredients to a large mixing bowl, toss, and serve!

Reader Favorite Pasta Salads

• Couscous Salad
• Italian Pasta Salad
• Pesto Pasta Salad
• Greek Broccoli Pasta Salad
• Tuna Pasta Salad
• Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

Get all of our reader favorite pasta salads, here!

Pesto Orzo Pasta Salad Video

Ingredients

Orzo: Orzo is a form of short cut pasta that looks very similar to a grain of rice. I love using orzo because it cooks quickly and can be easier to cook than rice. Regular orzo was used for the photos in this post but whole grain orzo is also delicious and works great!

Pesto: instead of a traditional vinaigrette this salad uses pesto as the dressing. When mixed with a little lemon juice it makes the perfect creamy dressing.

Chickpeas: these add extra fiber and protein to the salad to make it even more hearty.

Pine nuts: I like to toast the pine nuts before adding them to the salad. Toasting the pine nuts gives them the best flavor and they add some extra texture and crunch to the salad.

Arugula: this is the perfect green for this salad. It’s light, peppery, and delicious.

Grilled Artichoke Hearts: these are so good and the perfect addition to this salad.

Crunchy Veggies: bell peppers, cucumber, tomato, and red onion all give this salad some crunch.

Pepperoncini: similar to the artichoke hearts in this dish, pepperoncini help to add in some extra delicious flavor as well as texture.

Capers: these add a briny bite to the pasta salad that’s similar in flavor to olives.

Basil: in addition to the pesto, this salad uses fresh basil to really drive home that delicious basil flavor.

Feta: who doesn’t love a little salty and creamy feta cheese in a pasta salad?

Lemon: fresh lemon juice and zest helps to brighten up the salad.

Ingredient Substitutions

• Orzo – don’t want to use orzo? swap it for another small pasta or rice. If you need to keep this recipe gluten free then you can always use your favorite brand of gluten free orzo. 
• Veggies – feel free to switch up the veggies in this salad! it’s an easy recipe to customize and make your own.
• Pesto – if you need to keep this recipe dairy free, then be sure to use a dairy free pesto.
• Feta – don’t love feta? swap it for parmesan instead. If you’re making a dairy free version of this recipe then you use a vegan feta or leave it out altogether.

How to Make This Orzo Pasta Salad Recipe

Step One: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the orzo and cook using the package directions until al dente. Drain, rinse with cold water, set aside, and let cool.

Step Two: Add the pine nuts to a small, dry skillet in a single layer. Heat the skillet to medium-low and cook the pine nuts until they become golden brown and smell toasty and nutty. Stir the pine nuts occasionally while cooking and keep a careful eye on them so they don’t burn. Once golden, remove the pine nuts from the skillet and set aside. 

Step Three: To a large mixing bowl, add the cooled and cooked orzo, arugula, chickpeas, halved tomatoes, bell pepper, cucumber, artichoke hearts, pepperoncini, capers, red onion, basil, toasted pine nuts, and feta cheese.

Step Four: Add the pesto and lemon juice to a small bowl and whisk together until well combined and then pour the pesto over the pasta salad.

Step Five: Toss until everything is well combined. Serve the pasta salad with an extra dollops of pesto and additional toasted pine nuts, enjoy!

Recipe Variations

• Add extra veggies – this salad is really easy to customize! not only can you swap veggies but you can also add extra into the salad. Veggies like chopped celery and even diced carrot would be great.
• Add chicken – this orzo pasta salad is perfect to pair with grilled chicken or leftover roasted chicken.
• Keep it vegan – if you prefer you can keep this salad entirely vegan by leaving out the cheese.

Tips for Perfect Pasta Salad

• Don’t over cook your pasta. Cook the pasta al dente so that it still has a bit of bite. The last thing you want is mushy orzo in your salad.
• Drain and rinse the orzo under cool water to remove any excess starch before adding it to your mixing bowl and assembling the salad.
• Salt your water while cooking the pasta to ensure that it has plenty of flavor. There’s no need to add oil to the pasta water.
• Season to taste. Be sure to give the pasta salad a taste before serving and add extra salt, pepper, or lemon juice to your liking.

What to Serve with Orzo Pasta Salad

This pasta salad is delicious all on its own but if you want to pair it with something here are a few of my favorite recipes:

• grilled shrimp
• greek chicken meatballs
• one pan greek chicken with artichokes
• chicken pesto meatballs

How to Store

You can store the salad in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. If you are making the salad in advance, you can leave out the arugula until right before serving if you prefer.

More Delicious Side Dishes

• the best homemade coleslaw
• crispy chickpeas
• Cucumber and Tomato Salad
• red cabbage slaw
• kale Caesar salad
• thai crunch salad with creamy peanut dressing
• watermelon feta salad
• healthy broccoli salad
• chipotle potato salad

I hope you give this Pesto Orzo Pasta Salad a try! They are so easy to make and delicious! If you do give this recipe a try, let me know! 

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Recipe by: Ashlea Carver / All the Healthy Things | Photography by: Eat Love Eat