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pesto orzo salad recipe vegetarian side dishes for Christmas pasta salad or thanksgiving pasta side salad recipe meatless

Pesto Orzo with Mozzarella & Cherry Tomatoes

Kelly Jensen
Orzo Pesto Salad is a delicious vegetarian side dish, perfect for a BBQ, cookout, or holiday party. A delicious, herby, and refreshing appetizer or side, it's a crowd-pleasing salad everyone will love.
5 from 6 votes
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Appetizer, Pasta, Salad
Cuisine American, Italian
Servings 8 servings
Calories 279 kcal

Equipment

  • Mixing Bowl

Ingredients
  

For the Salad

  • 1 lb orzo gluten free if GF
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
  • 1 (16 ouce) container small fresh mozzarella pearls
  • 1 cups fresh parsley chopped

For the Dressing

  • 1 cup fresh basil
  • 1 cup fresh spinach
  • 4 cloves garlic roughly chopped
  • 1/3 cup walnuts
  • 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar I used white balsamic
  • 1/3 cup olive oil more if a thinner dressing is preferred
  • Sea Salt and Black Pepper

Instructions
 

  • Cook orzo according to package instructions. Drain, rinse under cold water, and add to a large mixing bowl.
  • Add all the pesto ingredients into a food processor or blender, and blend until smooth.
  • Add the tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and orzo dressing to the pasta, toss to combine. Make sure all the orzo is evenly coated in dressing.
  • Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving. Drizzle a little extra olive oil and balsamic over the pasta salad right before serving.

Video

Notes

For a vegan version, use marinated cubed tofu instead of the mozzarella!  

Nutrition

Calories: 279kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 8gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 21mgPotassium: 310mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 1485IUVitamin C: 15mgCalcium: 40mgIron: 2mg
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