Orzo pasta salad with chunks of feta cheese, fresh asparagus, and chickpeas, in a sharp cumin-lemon vinaigrette. The secret: I toast the dry orzo first for a deep, nutty flavor that holds up hours later.

A bowl of orzo pasta salad with chopped asparagus, chickpeas, spinach, red onion, feta cheese, and herbs, tossed with a light dressing. Two wooden salad servers rest in the bowl. Pine nuts are visible in a small dish nearby.
The amber color on the orzo comes from toasting — you can see it against the bright asparagus and crumbled feta.

Orzo pasta salad is one of those recipes that sounds simple, until you’ve had a version that’s noticeably good. For me, the difference comes from toasting dry orzo in a skillet before it ever touches water — 10 minutes over medium heat until the pasta turns deep gold and smells like popcorn.

Three ingredients, one good orzo salad

Five small white bowls hold pine nuts, chopped herbs, orzo pasta salad with chickpeas and asparagus, diced cucumber, and crumbled cheese on a white platter, with lemon wedges and fresh dill on the side.
  • Orzo pasta: The single thing that separates this from a forgettable pasta salad is toasting the orzo. Ten minutes over medium heat, stirring often, takes the pasta from pale and starchy to a deep amber that smells like roasted grain — something between toasted bread and popcorn. Standard grocery store orzo works perfectly; there’s no need for a specialty brand.
  • Feta cheese: I always buy feta in blocks, not the pre-crumbled kind in a dry tub. Blocks of feta (usually packed in brine) are creamier and sharper, and crumble into irregular, rustic pieces that are the opposite of the dried little bits in plastic containers. It also sparks the salad with saltiness, the definition of savory-ness.
  • Lemon vinaigrette: Because orzo absorbs a significant amount of liquid as it sits, I intentionally made the dressing more acidic and assertive than I’d make for a green salad. A vinaigrette that tastes slightly too bold straight from the bowl is calibrated correctly for a pasta salad. Ground cumin is what keeps this from tasting like a generic lemon pasta salad — it adds an earthy undertone that works with both the chickpeas and the feta.

Let’s make orzo pasta salad

  • A skillet with dried orzo pasta inside.
    Raw orzo — pale, starchy, and about to get a lot more interesting!
  • A wooden spoon, napkin and skillet with dried orzo inside.
    Ten minutes over medium heat is all it takes. You’re looking for a deep golden color and a smell that reminds you of popcorn.
  • A white mixing bowl with salad dressing, whisk, lemon wedge and grater
    Cumin and lemon do most of the work — this dressing is sharp and bold on purpose, because the orzo absorbs a lot of it.
  • A salad bowl and wooden spoon with arugula greens, orzo pasta, chickpeas and herbs.
    Everything goes in at once — the residual warmth from the orzo is enough to slightly wilt the arugula, which is exactly what you want.
  • A salad bowl full of orzo pasta salad and wooden servers.
    Cold or room temperature, but never straight from the fridge — the olive oil becomes sold, and the flavors fall flat.

Making it ahead

The beauty of this salad is that it only gets better after a few hours, or even a couple of days — the orzo absorbs the vinaigrette and the flavors mingle in the best way. Prep it up to 24 hours ahead, but leave out the arugula until just before serving so it doesn’t wilt.

A bowl of orzo pasta salad with chopped asparagus, chickpeas, spinach, red onion, feta cheese, and herbs, tossed with a light dressing. Two wooden salad servers rest in the bowl. Pine nuts are visible in a small dish nearby.
4.72 from 14 ratings

Toasted Orzo Pasta Salad with Feta, Asparagus, and Chickpeas

Karen Tedesco
Orzo pasta salad with feta cheese, chopped asparagus, and canned chickpeas, in a bold cumin-lemon vinaigrette. Toasting the dry orzo before boiling is the step that separates this from every other version — the golden pasta gains a nutty flavor that only gets better as it sits.
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Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients
 

Salad dressing:

  • Grated zest of 1 lemon
  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1 grated garlic clove
  • 3 tablespoons (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • Black pepper from a peppermill

Salad:

  • ¾ cup (112.5 g) dried orzo pasta
  • ½ pound (225 g) fresh asparagus sliced into ½-inch pieces
  • 1 15-ounce can (425 g) drained chickpeas
  • ¼ cup chopped parsley, or a combination of parsley and fresh dill or cilantro
  • ⅓ cup (50 g) crumbled feta cheese
  • 2 sliced green onions, or ½ red onion
  • 2 chopped Persian cucumbers
  • 2 cups baby arugula
  • 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted * see note below

Instructions
 

Vinaigrette dressing:

  1. Whisk the Grated zest of 1 lemon, ¼ cup fresh lemon juice, 1 grated garlic clove, 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon salt and a good 10 grinds of pepper in a bowl. Alternatively, shake the dressing in a mason jar. (Dressing will keep refrigerated 3-5 days).

Orzo salad:

  1. Place a dry 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add ¾ cup dried orzo pasta and toast until golden brown and nutty-smelling, about 10 minutes, tossing the pan frequently. Remove from the heat.
  2. Bring 3 quarts salted water to a boil and cook the orzo until al dente, according to package directions. Add ½ pound fresh asparagus sliced into ½-inch pieces during the last 2 or 3 minutes of cooking. Drain in a colander, then immediately run under cold running water for about 30 seconds. Drain well and transfer to a large serving bowl.
  3. Add 1 15-ounce can drained chickpeas, ¼ cup chopped parsley, ⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese, 2 sliced green onions, 2 chopped Persian cucumbers, 2 cups baby arugula, and 2 tablespoons pine nuts to the bowl and gently toss together. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt, lemon or olive oil if needed. Serve at room temperature.

Notes

  • The pasta salad keeps well up to 2 days. Serve at room temperature for the best flavor.
  • When asparagus is out of season or not available, you can substitute 2 cups of another vegetable in step 2 above, such as green peas, sugar snap peas, or bite-size broccoli florets.
  • Spruce up leftovers by adding a bit more lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.
  • To toast pine nuts, heat them in a small skillet for about 5 minutes over medium heat until they turn lightly golden. Keep an eye on them, because they can go from toasted to burned very quickly.

Nutrition per serving

Calories: 171kcal Carbohydrates: 18g Protein: 5g Fat: 9g Sodium: 293mg Fiber: 2g Sugar: 2g

Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.

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