Toasted Orzo Pasta Salad with Asparagus and Chickpeas
This orzo pasta salad tosses feta cheese crumbles, chickpeas, cucumber, and quick-cooked asparagus in a lemony cumin-spiced vinaigrette. Toasting the orzo is a "cheffy" touch that's 100% worth it! — the unlocked flavor is nutty perfection.
Ingredients
Salad dressing:
- Grated zest of 1 lemon
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove grated
- 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) orzo pasta
- ½ pound (225 g) asparagus woody ends trimmed; slice into ½-inch pieces *see note for substitutions
- 1 (425 g) 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained
- ¼ cup chopped parsley or a combination
- ⅓ cup (50 g) feta cheese crumbled
- 2 green onions finely sliced or ½ red onion
- 2 Persian cucumbers chopped
- 2 cups baby arugula
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts toasted * see note below
Instructions
Vinaigrette dressing:
- Whisk the lemon zest, juice, garlic, olive oil, cumin, 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:
- Place a dry 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the orzo and toast until golden brown and nutty-smelling, about 10 minutes, tossing the pan frequently. Remove from the heat.
- Bring 3 quarts salted water to a boil and cook the orzo until al dente, according to package directions. Add the asparagus 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.
- Add the chickpeas, herbs, feta, green onions, cucumber, arugula and 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.
Video
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
Calories: 171kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 5gFat: 9gSodium: 293mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2g
