Pesto Orzo Salad
Creamy, herby, and loaded with tasty ingredients, this easy Pesto Orzo Salad is the perfect pasta salad for BBQs, cookouts, potlucks, or anytime you want a tasty side dish to go with a meal.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 397kcal
Ingredients
- 10 ounces dry orzo pasta
- 1/2 cup basil pesto
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup pearl mozzarella drained
- 1 cup halved grape tomatoes
- 1/4 cup sliced green onions
- 1/4 cup sundried tomatoes sliced
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 2 tabelspoons pine nuts toasted
- fresh basil for ganish
Instructions
- Cook the orzo pasta in a pot of salted, boiling water until quite al dente. Drain it and rinse it in cold water to chill it. Add it to a large bowl.
- Mix the cooked orzo with the pesto, Parmesan cheese, and mayonnaise until smooth.
- Fold in the grape and sundried tomatoes, mozzarella pearls, green onions, and lemon juice. Mix well.
- Chill for about 30 minutes before serving.
- Serve garnished with toasted pine nuts and chopped basil.
Notes
Chef Jenn's Tips
- The #1 reason for pasta salad fails is overcooking the pasta. Orzo cooks quickly - it should have some firmness when you bite into it. Rinse all the starch off it after it is cooked, and drain well.
- Don't overmix the salad - you don't want to end up breaking the orzo and creating mush.
- Quality ingredients count! Use the freshest and best you can find for this easy pasta salad recipe.
- Can't find mozzarella pearls from the deli area of your grocery store? You can use any kind of fresh mozzarella and dice it.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 397kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 341mg | Potassium: 342mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 744IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 163mg | Iron: 1mg