Spring Orzo Salad with Arugula, Asparagus, Pine Nuts
Posted: 04/25/2018
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This spring orzo salad is full of bright and fresh flavors that will make you happy from the very first bite! Crisp asparagus, spicy arugula, and flavorful pine nuts are all dressed in a basil lemon vinaigrette. It’s a huge hit every time! Make it for your next party, you won’t regret it!
I first made this spring orzo salad in December. Totally out of season at the time, but still completely delicious. If you remember, I talked about my cooking club in the past, and this was a recipe I made for our Christmas cooking club when we let the husbands tag along. Needless to say, it was a hit, along with all the other food the rest of the group made.
No one cared that asparagus wasn’t in season at the time. They only cared about the fresh and bright flavors of this pasta salad. They cared about the peppery arugula, the salty artichokes, the irresistible pine nuts, and the bright citrus herb dressing. Or at least I’m guessing they did. I sure did!
We had some leftovers of this salad the next day and it tasted fantastic leftover, too. I might have eaten it for breakfast. Ben always gives me the side-eye when I eat stuff like this for breakfast but I don’t let it stop me from living my best life.
This is one of my favorite pasta salads for summer, and I think you guys will love it just as much. I love orzo salads! I looked through my recipe archives at my other orzo salad recipes and it appears I have a problem. But if loving orzo salad is wrong, I don’t want to be right.
We have Bruschetta Orzo Salad (another one of my faves!), Creamy Southwestern Orzo Salad (this one is always a HUGE hit!), Orzo Salad Recipe with Yogurt Dill Dressing, Spinach Orzo Salad with Chicken Meatballs and Chickpeas, Orzo Salad with Watermelon, Feta, and Chicken, Orzo Salad with Chicken and Vegetables (this one uses a rotisserie chicken!), and Greek Orzo Salad with Shrimp.
I love how orzo pasta fits right on your fork with whatever else may be in the salad – you always get a little bit of everything in one bite. However, if orzo isn’t your favorite or you don’t have it stocked in your pantry, you can always substitute with any pasta shape you’re smitten with. It’s definitely an area of this spring orzo salad recipe where there is some flexibility.
I have a guide on how to toast pine nuts, as well as the dressing recipe I use in this recipe, a bright and tangy lemon basil vinaigrette dressing. It all comes together perfectly and I cannot wait to make this all spring and summer long!
Tips:
- Buy artichokes that are packed in water – try to avoid the kind packed in oil or brine.
- Add pine nuts immediately prior to serving. This salad is best served immediately or within a few hour. It tastes great leftover, but the pine nuts do get a bit soggy and the arugula will wilt. Doesn’t stop me from eating the leftovers for a couple days, but you should be aware of it.
Make it a meal!
This spring orzo salad would be absolutely fantastic (like so, so, so good) topped with grilled chicken or grilled salmon for a complete summer meal! It would serve 4-6 if plated in this manner.
Make this spring Orzo Salad tonight!
You will LOVE IT.
Looking for more salads? Try:
- Asparagus Panzanella Salad
- Arugula Salad Recipe — a simple classic
- Fattoush Salad
- Tortellini Pasta Salad with pepperoni and Italian vinaigrette
- Taco Salad
- Brussels Sprouts Salad with crispy chickpeas
- Spring Salad with asparagus, grapefruit, and avocado
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
side servings
This spring orzo salad is full of bright and fresh flavors that will make you happy from the very first bite! Crisp asparagus, spicy arugula, and flavorful pine nuts are all dressed in a springy basil lemon vinaigrette.
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound (8 ounces) uncooked orzo
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 bunch (about 1 pound) asparagus, chopped into about 1-inch pieces
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 (14 ounce) jar quartered artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped
- 1 (5oz) package baby arugula
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
- 1 batch Lemon Basil Vinaigrette
Instructions
- Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil. Add orzo and cook according to package directions. When cooked to al dente, drain and rinse with cold water until cool.
- Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. Add asparagus and season with salt and pepper. Cook until bright green and tender but still crisp. Remove from heat.
- In a large bowl, combine the pasta, asparagus, artichoke hearts, arugula, Parmesan, pine nuts, and lemon basil vinaigrette. Stir to coat everything with the dressing.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- If not serving immediately, add pine nuts immediately before serving.
- I recommend artichoke hearts that are not marinated, but you may choose whatever you like.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1of 10, Calories: 187kcal, Carbohydrates: 21g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 9mg, Sodium: 243mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
gerry sacks says
would be more effective if you posted recipe first and all your writing afterwards. looking for recipe not chatter!
Rachel Gurk says
Every post has a convenient “jump to recipe” button at the top of every page that will take you directly to the recipe with one click. The text is full of helpful information that we take a great deal of time writing. Also, we provide recipes for free (even though I have thousands a month in expenses to run this site) and if you prefer the recipe without the “chatter,” you may have better luck purchasing a cookbook or visiting allrecipes. There’s a lot of reasons for the blog post text (and putting it first) beyond the fact that it contains helpful information for the reader, but I won’t bore you with those. Have a great day, Gerry.
Homepage says
This looks so good. I’m terrible at spring cleaning. I can’t seem to actually get it all done, but we’re trying. Looks like making this may trump my cleaning list though. Ha-ha. I love this salad. I make a similar one with pepper and Parmesan cheese, sans asparagus all the time (once in a while with fresh cherry tomatoes). So easy healthy for a last minute side dish to like any meal.
Alma Vorrei says
This recipe is delicious. it’s so fresh and springy… I can never have too many salad recipes on hand! I could go for a salad right now
Rachel Gurk says
I’m so happy you like it! It’s one of my favorites. Happy spring!
Denise says
looks like a fun salad to eat
Rachel Gurk says
It really is! Thanks Denise!