Asparagus and Sundried Tomato Orzo Pasta Salad is my new favourite pasta salad! A one pot wonder that comes together in about 15 minutes!
This week, it’s felt as though summer is on our doorstep. And with warmer and longer days comes quick and light suppers, dishes for BBQs, potlucks, etc. This Orzo Pasta Salad will take you through the remainder of Spring and into Summer with a quick and family-friendly dish.
It’s a great vegetarian option making it perfect for Meatless Monday. If I’m using this orzo salad as a meal I will generally double to asparagus for more vegetable intake and a brighter green look.
How to cook Orzo:
Orzo is a short cut dried pasta that looks like long grain rice. It’s a quick cooking pasta that cooks in about 5-7 minutes depending upon the brand you’re using.
To cook orzo fill a large pot of water and season with salt. Bring water to a boil and add orzo, cooking for 5-7 minutes or until orzo is al dente (tender but with a slight bit of chew in the middle).
It’s packed with asparagus which cooks in the same water as the pasta and therefore makes this a one pot wonder. Whoop, whoop. Chopped some sundried tomatoes from the jar, add some basil and crumbled feta or goat’s cheese for a seriously quick and easy dish.
This is an easy Orzo Salad with asparagus and sundried tomatoes – giving the pasta salad a fresh flavour. You can serve this a cold orzo salad or warm, both tastes delicious to us.
Looking for more Orzo Pasta Salad recipes?
Spring is in the air so here are a few of our favourite Spring recipes:
- One Pot Spring Pasta
- Soft Scrambled Eggs with Roasted Potatoes
- One Pot Chicken and Rice with Spring Vegetables and Dill
- Chorizo, Asparagus, and Goat’s Cheese Pizza
Spring fresh Orzo Salad with Asparagus and Sundried Tomatoes. A one pot picnic or BBQ perfect dish that comes together in 15 minutes!
- 500 grams (about 2 cups) dried orzo pasta (if it’s unavailable in the pasta section it might be found in the bulk section)
- 1 lbs (about 1 bunch) asparagus, ends trimmed and sliced into 1/4" coins
- 125 ml sundried tomatoes in oil, drained and thinly sliced (equals about half of a 250 ml jar)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
- 1/4 cup crumbled feta or goat's cheese (chèvre)
- 2 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice, from about 1/2 lemon
- 1/2 tsp lemon zest
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp medium grain kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
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Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook orzo as per package directions and add asparagus with 2 minutes left. Drain.
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Toss with sundried tomatoes, basil, cheese, lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil and salt and pepper.
Enjoy! xo
I love anything with asparagus, and an orzo salad is perfect for this weather! Yum
This Orzo Salad is definitely ready for picnic and BBQ season!
I made this for a family picnic and it was delicious!
That’s fabulous! Thanks for the note Jess. I’m glad the Orzo Salad worked out well 🙂
Thanks for sharing such a nice and simple recipe.
Pleasure!