Pesto Orzo
This simple pesto orzo pasta salad comes together in less than 20 minutes for a fresh, delicious, and easy meal! Topped with homemade pesto, fresh spinach, toasted pine nuts, and parmesan cheese, it's the perfect summer lunch or side-dish!
Servings 4 servings
Calories 535kcal
Ingredients
- 8 ounces orzo uncooked
- ¼ cup pine nuts toasted
- 1 cup fresh pesto*
- 2 cups fresh spinach sliced
- ¼ cup fresh basil thinly sliced
- ¼ cup shaved parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cook the orzo according to package directions. Reduce the cooking time by 1-2 minutes for perfect al dente pasta. Drain and then rinse for 1 minute with cold water (this helps the orzo not stick together). Set aside to cool slightly.
- In a small dry skillet, toast the pine nuts over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Set aside.
- Thinly slice the fresh spinach and basil.
- Add the cooled orzo, toasted pine nuts, fresh pesto, spinach, basil, and shaved parmesan cheese to a large bowl.
- Gently toss together until combined.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days! The pesto orzo might get dried out after a few days so you can rehydrate it with a little olive oil or more fresh pesto.
Notes
*Fresh homemade pesto is best but you can use your favorite fresh store-bought pesto instead (Trader Joe's vegan kale pesto is a great choice for this pasta salad)! I love using either my homemade basil pesto or my fresh spinach pesto!
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 535kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 695mg | Potassium: 271mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2787IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 205mg | Iron: 2mg