Pesto Orzo Salad (Nut Free)
Pesto Orzo Salad is a delicious pasta dish with bright spring flavors thanks to a simple nut free spinach basil pesto. Enjoy this pasta salad served warm or cold. As a bonus: you can make this pasta salad in 15 minutes flat!
Nut Free, Peanut Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Soy Free
Eating more at home over the past year has allowed me to really prevent food waste. There’s always someone home to add that little bit of scraps to a lunch plate. Ya know what I mean?
I’ve discovered that one of my favorite ways to stretch leftover ingredients is with pasta. Whether I have a little bit of veggies or protein leftover, I can usually pair it seamlessly with a bowl of pasta.
Plus, when I was talking about pasta over on Instagram recently, my community really wanted to see more pasta recipes. So here ya go…
This Pesto Orzo Salad is an easy side dish or base for a beautiful bowl thanks to an easy 5-minute Spinach Basil Pesto sauce.
Pesto was never on my radar growing up because of my food allergies. Every once in a while my brothers would order some pesto dish from an Italian restaurant and I would stay far away from them (and it). But it wasn’t hard because it really didn’t appeal to me. I don’t think I appreciated the bright, fresh, earthy flavors of a good pesto.
Pesto is traditionally a green sauce made from basil, garlic, pine nuts, parmesan cheese, and oil.
Nowadays you can find a pesto recipe that uses any green, from beetroot leaves to dandelion greens, spinach, kale, and everything in between.
For this pesto orzo salad I created a super simple and basic Spinach Basil Pesto that’s (of course) nut free.
Why did I add spinach to pesto?
If you don’t grow your own basil, it can actually be quite expensive at the markets near me. Basil is such an aromatic herb with so much flavor, so you can bulk up your pesto (and add extra nutrients) by also using spinach. So that’s exactly what I did with this Spinach Basil Pesto.
You only need 5 ingredients and 5 minutes to make this Spinach Basil Pesto:
- Basil
- Baby spinach
- Garlic
- Olive oil
- Salt & pepper
Add all of the ingredients to a food processor and pulse until combined. If you want the sauce to be really thin, add more oil. If you like it thicker (like I do), follow the instructions as is.
How to use pesto
There are countless ways you can use pesto, so leftovers will never be a problem! I have another pesto recipe coming soon that you won’t want to miss, but for now, here are some great uses of your pesto:
- Sandwich spread
- Salad dressing
- Marinade for meat
- Topping for fish
- Mixed into hummus or guacamole
Of course, you can traditionally use pesto as it was intended in Italy, on pasta!
This Pesto Orzo Salad is a delicious side dish with a bright burst of flavors you can serve warm or cold.
Pesto Orzo Salad is…
- Easy to make in 15 minutes
- Packed with flavor
- Perfect to pack for picnics
- Versatile based on the ingredients you have at home
- Made with just 8 ingredients
- Hard to mess up!
Why orzo?
Orzo is a fun little pasta shape that I love to make. It looks like rice, but has the chewiness of pasta. Of course when my 1 year old eats it, it makes a mess, but it’s a great way to change things up from a traditional pasta salad, but not a grain salad, as if I was using rice, quinoa, or bulgur.
You can use traditional orzo or whole wheat orzo for this recipe. Of course, whole wheat orzo adds more fiber, plus vitamins and minerals, but if you have regular orzo in your pantry, use it!
That’s the thing about food freedom… you’re able to enjoy ALL foods, including those that may not be the “healthiest” version, like regular orzo. That’s 100% OK!
Of course, if you have a gluten allergy, you could make this gluten free by using a bean-based alternative or any gluten free pasta.
Ingredients to make Pesto Orzo Salad
You only need 8 ingredients to make Pesto Orzo Salad, including making the pesto yourself!
- Orzo
- Spinach
- Basil
- Garlic
- Asparagus
- Tomatoes
- Olive oil
- Salt & pepper
How to Make Pesto Pasta Salad
Pesto pasta salad is so easy to make in one bowl. All you have to do is mix together all of your ingredients, then enjoy!
Possibly the best part of this recipe is that it’s delicious warm or cold, making it perfect for meal prep, lunch on the go, picnics, summer BBQs, etc.
First, you fill a medium-sized pot with water. Bring it to a boil.
While the water is warming, make the pesto. As described above, it’s super simple!
Once your water boils, add the asparagus and green beans to cook for a few minutes. This will give them some additional cooking time before you add the orzo.
After 2-3 minutes, add the orzo and cook for about 7 minutes, or according to the package instructions. When done cooking, drain the water and add the asparagus and orzo back into the pot.
(Told you it’s a one pot meal!)
Add the pesto and chopped tomatoes to the pot and stir to enjoy. And like I said before, you can enjoy it warm or cold.
PrintPesto Orzo Salad is a delicious pasta dish with bright spring flavors thanks to a simple nut free spinach basil pesto. Enjoy this pasta salad served warm or cold. As a bonus: you can make this pasta salad in 15 minutes flat!
Ingredients
For the Spinach Basil Pesto:
- 3 cups fresh basil, loosely packed
- 3 cups baby spinach, loosely packed
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 2 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the Orzo Salad:
- 1 bunch asparagus, cut into thirds
- 1 cup orzo
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, quartered
- 1/4 cup Spinach Basil Pesto
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
To make the Spinach Basil Pesto:
- In a food processor or blender pulse together basil, spinach, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper until a paste-like consistency forms. You may need to pause to scrape down the sides of the food processor.
- Use immediately or store in a covered airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.
To make the Orzo Salad:
- Bring a medium-sized pot of water to a boil. Generously salt the water.
- Once the water boils, add asparagus. After 3 minutes, add the orzo to cook according to package instructions, about 7 minutes.
- Drain pasta and asparagus and add back to the pot. Mix in tomatoes and pesto until all of the orzo is coated in pesto. Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste. Enjoy warm or cold.
Other pasta salads you may enjoy:
Don’t Forget to PIN IT…
XO