Orzo Pesto Salad
This 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.
Servings: 6
Calories: 399kcal
Ingredients
- 10 oz orzo pasta uncooked
- 1 ½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ cup kalamata olives halved
- 2 cups baby spinach chopped
- 8 oz mozzarella pearls or mini mozzarella balls drained if packed in liquid
- ¼ cup red onion diced finely (optional)
- fresh basil for garnish
Pesto Salad Dressing
- ¼ cup basil pesto homemade or store bought
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Cook the orzo pasta in a large pot of salted water according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside to cool.
- Make the pesto dressing: whisk together the basil pesto, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside. If it's too thick, add a tablespoon of cold water.
- In a large bowl, combine the cooked orzo pasta, cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, baby spinach, mini mozzarella pearls, and red onion.
- Pour the pesto dressing over the pasta salad and toss to coat evenly.
- Garnish with basil leaves and serve.
Notes
Homemade pesto is usually thinner than store bought. If the dressing seems too thick, thin it out with more lemon juice or a bit of cold water.
If you don't have mini mozzarella balls or pearls, chop a fresh mozzarella ball into bite-sized pieces.
This salad keeps well in the fridge, for up to 3 days, so it can be made ahead of time. Add a splash of olive oil and stir before serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 399kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 531mg | Potassium: 291mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1628IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 239mg | Iron: 1mg