Pesto Orzo with Mozzarella & Cherry Tomatoes
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.
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 279kcal
Cost: $8
Equipment
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 extra virgin 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: 279kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 21mg | Potassium: 310mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1485IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 2mg