Pesto Orzo Pasta Salad

Name: Pesto Orzo Pasta Salad
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 37 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: 1 cup Orzo (1 cup dry orzo); ¼ cup Pine Nuts (1/4 cup toasted pine nuts, plus more for garnish); 2 cup Arugula (2 cups arugula); 1 oz Chickpeas (1 – 15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained — up to 15); 1 cup Cherry Tomato (1 cup rainbow cherry tomatoes, halved); ½ cup Orange Bell Pepper (1/2 cup diced orange bell pepper); ½ cup English Cucumber (1/2 cup quartered English cucumber); ½ cup Artichoke Hearts (1/2 cup marinated artichoke hearts, chopped); ½ cup Pepperoncini (1/2 cup thinly sliced pepperoncini); 2 tbsp Capers (2 tablespoons capers); ⅓ cup Red Onion (1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion); ¼ cup Basil (1/4 cup fresh basil); ⅓ cup Feta Cheese (1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese, plus more for garnish); 1 pinch Lemon (zest of one lemon); ¼ cup Pesto (1/4 cup basil pesto, plus more for topping); 1 pinch Lemon Juice (juice of one lemon)

Pesto Orzo Pasta Salad - Sides (Greek)

37 minGreek

Servings6

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Vegetarian
Pescatarian
Egg Free

Ingredients

For 6 servings

Orzo1 cup · 1 cup dry orzo
Pine Nuts¼ cup · 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts, plus more for garnish
Arugula2 cup · 2 cups arugula
Chickpeas1 oz · 1 – 15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained — up to 15
Cherry Tomato1 cup · 1 cup rainbow cherry tomatoes, halved
Orange Bell Pepper½ cup · 1/2 cup diced orange bell pepper
English Cucumber½ cup · 1/2 cup quartered English cucumber
Artichoke Hearts½ cup · 1/2 cup marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
Pepperoncini½ cup · 1/2 cup thinly sliced pepperoncini
Capers2 tbsp · 2 tablespoons capers
Red Onion⅓ cup · 1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion
Basil¼ cup · 1/4 cup fresh basil
Feta Cheese⅓ cup · 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese, plus more for garnish
Lemon1 pinch · zest of one lemon
Pesto¼ cup · 1/4 cup basil pesto, plus more for topping
Lemon Juice1 pinch · juice of one lemon

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Steps

1Cook the Orzo
2Bring 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.
3Toast the Pine Nuts
4Add 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.
5Assemble the Salad
6To 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.
7Add the pesto and lemon juice to a small bowl and whisk together until well combined and then pour the pesto over the pasta salad.
8Toss until everything is well combined. Serve the pasta salad with an extra dollops of pesto and additional toasted pine nuts, enjoy!