Toasted Orzo Pasta Salad with Feta, Asparagus, and Chickpeas
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.
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:
- 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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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
