My easy Asparagus & Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad recipe is a delicious, fresh crowd pleaser with a fresh herb dressing and zesty arugula. Save the recipe to Pinterest so you can find it again!
I don’t know about you, but pasta salads were a staple for my spring and summer time eating growing up. They were always around at family get-togethers. Pasta salads are the one thing everyone would want to make because they are delicious and so simple to toss together. They are also often so full of beautiful, seasonal flavors. I also love that they work as a side dish or can even serve as a light main dish. My Asparagus & Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad recipe is one of those simple, throw together meals or sides that is also so delicious. It includes a homemade dressing full of fresh herbs and is topped off with some lemon zest. It just brings together all the flavors that make you think of spring. This will be a must-make recipe for this season as we get into spring and summer celebrations.
Ingredients in my Asparagus & Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad
I tried to keep this recipe simple. We actually had a pot luck with friends this weekend and I told myself not to go overboard with ingredients. The salad just a few fresh ingredients including the cooked orzo, fresh arugula, red onion, fresh asparagus and some pine nuts. I top it all off with some fresh lemon zest.
I leave the pine nuts here un-toasted because I really just enjoy the nutty flavor they bring without adding another step to the recipe. However, if you prefer toasted pine nuts, you can do that too.
Lemon Parmesan Dressing
The dressing on this easy Orzo pasta salad recipe is a Parmesan Lemon dressing. I love this one so much! It includes 1/4 cup of fresh squeezed lemon and extra virgin olive oil as the base. Then it is further flavored with a little dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, finely shredded parmesan cheese and fresh basil, dill and chives. I love the flavor combination the fresh herbs creates and the cheese really takes the dressing to the next level, making it a little more than just a simple vinaigrette by balancing the acidic flavors.
Blanching the asparagus
My Asparagus & Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad recipe calls for blanching the asparagus. This means you are going to boil it for just a few minutes and then immediately take it out and put it in an ice bath to stop the cooking process and cool it. Blanching vegetables allows them to retain some of their crispness and their bright color. It is great to do for salads because you still get a firm vegetable that is not raw.
Making it your own
After I made this Asparagus & Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad, I thought cucumbers would have also been so nice in it! Peas would work really well too. If you have an ingredient you love, feel free to ass them. You could even add sliced cherry tomatoes or hard salami for some protein.
Tips for making my Asparagus & Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad recipe
- Make sure not to overcook the orzo. It can get mushy if you do. Look at the directions on the package and cook it to al dente. Take a careful taste before removing it to make sure you are happy with the consistency.
- Make sure to use the best quality extra virgin olive oil you can find. It is the base of the dressing and you want it to be good!
- Squeeze your own lemons and don’t buy the pre-squeezed juice in the store. I know it makes it easier but the flavor compromise is just not worth it.
- You can make this salad 24 hours ahead of time. It will keep in the refrigerator lightly covered. Take it out about 30 minutes before you want to eat to let the extra virgin olive oil come back to room temperature.
- You can also save this for about 3 days after making it. Put it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Again, take it out about 30 minutes before you want to eat to let the olive oil come back to room temperature.
Looking for more pasta salads or spring & summer salad recipes?
If you love a good pasta salad or a good salad that can work as a side dish or part of a main dish, try these too!
- Rotini Pasta Salad {HERE}
- Tortellini Pasta Salad with Sun Dried Tomatoes {HERE}
- French Green Bean Salad recipe {HERE}
- Easy Shrimp Salad with Old Bay {HERE}
- Grilled Corn and Avocado Salad {HERE}
- Classic English Pea Salad {HERE}
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Thank you so much for joining me today, friends! I hope that you love my Asparagus & Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad recipe and that you come back again to visit at the farmhouse. You can find the full, printable recipe below. Happy eating!
Asparagus & Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad
Equipment
- Mason jar for mixing dressing
- Pot for blanching asparagus
Ingredients
Ingredients for the Asparagus & Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad
- 1 lb cooked orzo pasta
- 1 lb asparagus, woody ends removed and cut into 1-2 inch pieces
- 3-4 cups fresh arugula, packed
- 1/2 red onion diced
- 1/3 cup pine nuts
- Zest of 2 lemons
- Salt and pepper to taste
Ingredients for the Parmesan Lemon Vinaigrette
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 cloves grated or pressed garlic
- 1/2 shallot, diced
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tbsp fresh minced dill
- 3 tbsp fresh minced basil
- 2 tbsp fresh minced chives
- 1/8 cup fresh, finely grated parmesan cheese
- 1/4 tsp coarse sea salt
- A few twists of fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
- Boil a medium sized pot of water over medium heat. When boiling, add the asparagus for 3 minutes. When time is up, immediately strain them and put them in an ice bath for cooling. Strain again before using in the salad.
- Once the orzo is cooked, combine the orzo, arugula, red onion, pine nuts and cooled asparagus.
- In a mason jar or salad dressing jar, combine all the ingredients for the salad dressing and mix. If you want this to be finer, you can put it all in a food processor. Pour the dressing over the pasta salad and toss.
- To serve, top with the fresh lemon zest and sea salt and pepper to taste.
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