Orzo Pasta Salad with Asparagus

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Easy Mediterranean orzo pasta salad with lemon, asparagus and feta. A perfect make-ahead lunch salad or potluck dish!

Whenever you need an easy dish to bring to a potluck or want a make-ahead lunch during the week, this orzo pasta salad recipe is here for you!

We’re all trying to add more healthy bang-for-the-buck ingredients to the plate. Enter orzo salad.

This salad has a lot going on, with a nice balance of orzo pasta, vegetables, fresh herbs and creamy feta cheese, combined with a lemony cumin-spiced vinaigrette dressing.

Ingredients you need to make orzo pasta salad:

This recipe plays up the Greek flavor profile of orzo easy to find pantry ingredients from the grocery store:

• Orzo pasta
• Chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
• Asparagus
• Olive oil
• Dill, parsley or fresh basil
• Green onion or red onion
• Cucumber
• Lemon juice or red wine vinegar
• Cumin
• Feta cheese

All about orzo

It makes sense that orzo pasta is so versatile and easy to like. Orzo is a rice-shaped pasta made of durum wheat. It’s one of a variety of tiny pasta shapes, or “pastina”.

When I was a baby, my mother would make orzo with butter or add the pasta to simple chicken broth or tomato soup.

• Fun Fact: The word “orzo” is the Italian word for barley, a grain often used as a substitute for rice and pasta in parts of northern Italy.
• Because it looks so much like grains of rice, Italian orzo pasta is called risoni.
• Unlike rice, there’s no need to rinse orzo before cooking.
• Look for orzo in the pasta aisle next to other small pasta shapes.

Orzo vs rice nutrition:

Overall, orzo is the winner nutritionally compared to white rice. One cup of orzo contains almost three times more potassium and twice the amount of fiber of one cup of white rice. It has slightly more calories and zero cholesterol.

While it’s technically a type of pasta often used in soups and side dishes, I like to use orzo as if it were a hearty whole grain like farro or brown rice.

In this recipe, I suggest you toast the pasta before cooking. Mixed in a large bowl with lots of vegetables, the flavor is delectable — you have to try it!

Assembling orzo pasta salad:

When asparagus is out of season or not available, you can substitute 2 cups of another vegetable, like sweet peas, snap peas or small broccoli florets in the salad.

Serving orzo pasta salad

• Serve the salad as a side dish for grilled chicken or seafood.
• Enjoy orzo salad cold or a room temperature — it tastes delicious either way.

Make ahead and storage tips for orzo salad

• This salad keeps well up to 2 days in the refrigerator.
• Spruce up leftovers by adding a bit more lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.

More healthy one-dish meals:

• Parmesan Polenta with Roasted Vegetables
• Creamy Chicken Cavatelli with Zucchini
• Classic Italian Minestrone Soup
• Creamy Baked Chicken and Asparagus

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