20-Minute Pesto Orzo Pasta Salad
Ready in less than 20 minutes, this bright, flavorful pesto orzo pasta salad comes together simply with basil pesto (store-bought or homemade), cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, and mozzarella. Fast to throw together, and a stunner on any table, it’s simply a fantastic recipe.
5 star review
“This was just what I needed for an awesome side top pair with a Costco chicken for a busy week! I added some chopped baby spinach and it was FANTASTIC. ”
– Wendy
This Super-Fast Pesto Orzo is Simple & Delicious
This pesto orzo is truly simplicity at its best, and I absolutely love this multipurpose recipe because you can eat it as a meal on its own or as a side for just about anything. Truly, it’s so simple, yet bursting with fresh flavor, and I love using my easy homemade pesto to really take the flavors over the top. However to save time and effort, store-bought pesto also works equally well. In fact, it works with any pesto you have on hand, including sun dried tomato pesto (um, yum!) If you are using store-bought pesto, I added a little lemon juice and balsamic vinegar to this recipe freshen up all the flavors of a store-bought pesto.
Welcome to My Kitchen! Let’s Make a Pesto Orzo Salad!
Menu Ideas
As I mentioned, there are endless possibilities for how to serve this orzo salad with pesto and tomatoes. Honestly, I love just eating it out of straight from the bowl, and it’s also excellent with to serve with a simple store bought rotisserie chicken. This easy orzo with pesto can really be a whole meal in itself, making it a great light lunch or easy dinner when you’re short on time. And I promise, if you bring this pesto pasta salad to your next BBQ or potluck, everyone is going to be asking you for the recipe.
Bump up the Protein
This orzo salad make a full meal on its own, but if you want to bump up the protein, add chicken with pesto chicken, lemon chicken, garlicky shrimp, or Greek chicken.
Substitutes & Ingredient Notes
- Orzo pasta: I love how the orzo absorbs the sauce, however you can use any small pasta shape you like like macaroni, ditalini, or fusilli. For a gluten free version of this recipe, use your favorite gluten free pasta.
- Fresh basil: Fresh basil adds so much fresh flavor and vibrant color to this dish, however you could substitute fresh baby spinach instead.
- Toasted pine nuts: I know pipe nuts are expensive, but I just love how they mimic the shape of the orzo and add a little crunch. You could use toasted, slivered almonds instead, or any toasted nut you want. For a nut free version of this recipe, leave the nuts out and replace the pesto with my nut-free and dairy-free pesto.
- Small mozzarella balls: If you cannot find small mozzarella balls, you can use large ones chopped into bite-size pieces. You could leave these out if you want, but they do add protein and heartiness to the dish. Or you could replace the mozzarella with crumbled feta cheese. For a dairy free and vegan version of this recipe, use dairy free feta and my nut-free and dairy-free pesto.
This Recipe Is…
20-Minute Pesto Orzo Pasta Salad (w/ Tomatoes)
Ingredients
- 1 pound orzo
- 1 cup pesto
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ½ cups halved cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup packed basil, thinly sliced
- ½ cup toasted pine nuts
- 2 cups small mozzarella balls, coarsely chopped
Equipment
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a strong boil over high heat. Add the orzo and cook just shy of al dente, about 1-2 minutes short of the package directions.
- Drain the pasta and do not rinse. Immediately transfer the hot pasta to a large bowl.
- Add the pesto, lemon juice, vinegar, and salt, stirring to combine. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes for the flavors to absorb and the pasta to cool.
- Add the tomatoes, basil, pine nuts, and mozzarella, stirring to combine. Serve warm, at room temperature, or cold.
Notes
- For gluten-free, use gf orzo or any similar small shaped pasta.
OMG! So good, it was a big hit!
Yay, so happy to hear this easy pasta salad was a hit for you, Sara! Thanks so much for leaving a review!
This was just what I needed for an awesome side top pair with a Costco chicken for a busy week! I substituted cashews for pine nuts and added some chopped baby spinach and it was FANTASTIC.
Wendy, I love that you added protein to this with rotisserie chicken — so smart and so easy! Thanks so much for leaving a review!
Thanks so much for this recipe! What is your favorite brand of gluten free orzo? I have not had luck finding one.
Hi Amy, Jovial mades a cassava flour orzo pasta that’s good, though pretty difficult to cook (it can definitely turn out gummy). DeLallo makes one with corn and rice that’s pretty good. It’s a bit softer than regular orzo but it does hold up pretty well in the fridge.
This is SO good! I see this becoming a weekly recipe for us, especially since I can make it ahead and serve it for dinner on a busy night, or spread it out for lunches all week. Threw in some chicken and baby spinach thanks to the other comments and YUM.
Woohoo, so happy to hear you enjoyed this simple orzo salad recipe, Allie! Love the additions of chicken and spinach, too. Thanks so much for leaving a review!