Pesto Orzo Salad

This refreshing pesto orzo salad pairs tender orzo with bright basil pesto, vibrant greens, juicy tomatoes and zucchini, buttery toasted pine nuts, and nutty Parmesan cheese in a summer dish that is sure to have you digging in for seconds. This dish is made with simple, seasonal, and nutrient-rich ingredients and comes together in just 30 minutes!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Produce packed – this pesto orzo salad is teeming with fresh and mostly seasonal summer produce, like fresh basil, zucchini, tomatoes, and spinach. It’s a nutrient-dense pasta salad you can feel good about eating.
• Bursting with flavor – this dish is bursting with tons of flavors from zesty basil pesto and buttery toasted pine nuts to refreshing zucchini and tomatoes and nutty Parmesan cheese. It’s sure to be a crowd pleaser.
• Quick and easy – this dish comes together in just 30 minute, making it a simple and quick dish to toss together for a potluck, BBQ, or summer dinner.
• Easily customizable – we love dishes that lend themselves to personal preferences. You can add your favorite protein, sub in different veggies and herbs, and switch up the garnishes and even pesto sauce to your tastes!

Ingredients

• Orzo – this tiny, bite-sized pasta is perfect for tossing into this salad. Serve al dente for the best results. You can use any small pasta you like in place of orzo as well.
• Fresh basil – forms the vibrant base for the pesto sauce and is a refreshing garnish.
• Zucchini – our favorite summer produce that adds a zip of freshness to this salad.
• Grape tomatoes – for a burst of summery freshness. We use grape or cherry tomatoes, but you can use any variety you want.
• Spinach – we use spinach as both an adder to the pesto and a crisp green base for the orzo salad to pack in a ton of vitamins and minerals, like iron, vitamins E and C, potassium and magnesium. We recommend coarsely chopping spinach to bite-sized pieces or using baby spinach to keep it from overwhelming the rest of the pasta salad.
• Garlic cloves – for a hint of sharpness.
• Parmesan cheese – lends a delicious nutty flavor to the pesto. We like to serve this pesto with a light garnish of shaved Parmesan for a punch of extra indulgent flavor.
• Pine nuts – lightly toasted to add a rich, buttery flavor to the pesto sauce and an optional garnish. You can sub in walnuts or cashews if you don’t have pine nuts or try pepitas or go nut-free.
• Extra virgin olive oil – for the pesto and sauteing the zucchini. Use a high quality extra virgin olive oil for the most robust flavor.
• Salt and pepper – easy seasonings that bring all the flavors together.

Tips for Making Pesto Orzo Salad

1. Toast the pine nuts – toasting the nuts adds an extra rich depth and buttery flavor to the sauce and finished pasta salad. And it only takes a few minutes to toast pine nuts in a dry pan (no oil).
2. Cook the orzo al dente – my number one tip for any pasta dish is to always cook pasta al dente. This means that your pasta is always perfectly tender and never mushy. It’s especially important when making dishes where the pasta will soak in a sauce or broth, as the noodles tend to absorb the moisture and become softer. Cook the orzo according to package directions and test repeatedly until the center of the orzo is no longer white and is just barely tender.
3. Cook the zucchini in batches – when cooking the zucchini, only add enough zucchini to cover the bottom of the pan in a single layer. This will allow the zucchini to lightly brown and cook evenly without turning mushy. Remove once just tender and repeat batch-wise until all the zucchini is cooked. Be sure to divide the oil evenly among the batches (see recipe card).
4. Enjoy orzo salad warm or cold – this pasta is delicious if served warm or cold, so it’s completely up to your personal preference! I personally love to serve it just after combining the ingredients, so it is closer to room temperature than it is warm or cold.

How to Make Pesto Orzo Salad

Make the pesto: in a food processor, combine the basil, spinach, Parmesan cheese, pine nuts, garlic, and olive oil. Pulse until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and cook the orzo until tender, about 7-8 minutes. Drain and transfer to a serving bowl. Drizzle with a small amount of olive oil and toss to prevent clumping and sticking. Set aside.

While the orzo cooks, toast the pine nuts in a dry pan over medium heat until lightly golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. Set aside.

Heat half of the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add half of the zucchini in a single layer and season with salt and pepper. Cook until lightly browned on both sides and tender, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to the serving bowl with the orzo. Repeat with the remaining oil and zucchini.

Add the tomatoes, spinach, and pesto to the orzo and toss to combine. Garnish with shaved Parmesan cheese, toasted pine nuts, and fresh basil and toss to combine. Season with additional salt and pepper, if desired. Serve and enjoy warm or refrigerate and serve once cold!

How to Store

Store leftover pesto orzo salad in an airtight container for up to 5 days for optimum freshness. Before serving leftover orzo salad, allow it to come to room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes. You can freshen up leftover orzo salad by tossing it with leftover pesto (also brought to room temperature so that the olive oil can liquefy).

Recipe Variations

• Protein – we like to add chopped grilled chicken, shrimp, or steak to this recipe to bolster the protein content. Or try chickpeas or cannellini beans for a simple vegetarian/vegan friendly protein option.
• Produce – this recipe capitalizes on summer produce like zucchini, tomatoes, and basil to make it as fresh and vibrant as possible. Feel free to add in your favorite veggies, like yellow squash, eggplant, cucumbers, onion, bell pepper, or summer corn. Swap out spinach with kale or arugula.
• Nuts – we love the buttery richness of toasted pine nuts in this recipe, but you can sub in toasted almonds, cashews, or hazelnuts. You can also go nut-free by subbing in toasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas) or omitting nuts altogether.
• Herbs – basil is the star of any pesto recipe, but you can add even more herby flavor with a sprinkle of fresh parsley, thyme, or mint.
• Cheese – shaved Parmesan is one of our favorite ingredients in this recipe. Switch things up by subbing in fresh mozzarella chunks, shaved or shredded Asiago or Pecorino, or crumbled feta or goat cheese.
• Pesto – we love a simple, more traditional basil pesto for this pesto orzo salad. However, we don’t say no to swapping in pumpkin seed pesto, kale pesto, or lemon pesto either!

Frequently Asked Questions

Check out our other pasta salad recipes

• Cilantro lime pasta salad
• Greek pasta salad
• Peach pasta salad
• Avocado pasta salad