Simple & Easy Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad (Delicious!)
This Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad is super simple (no chopping required!) and seriously crazy delicious. It’s packed with fresh, bright flavors—easy lemon dressing tossed with tender orzo, peppery arugula, salty feta, and crunchy almonds. A handful of chickpeas makes it extra filling, too. This is one of our favorite lemon recipes!
Servings: 6
Calories: 543kcal
Ingredients
Lemon Pasta Salad Dressing
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ⅔ cup lemon juice about 3-4 large lemons
- ⅓ cup fresh basil minced (loosly packed whole leaves, then mince)
- 2 tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoon garlic minced
- 2 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Pasta Salad
- 1 lb orzo pasta
- 1 14 ounce can garbanzo beans drained and rinsed
- 2 cups arugula rough chopped
- ½ cup feta
- ¼ cup slivered almonds
Instructions
- Bring large pot of water to a boil and cook orzo until al dente - about 8-10 minutes.1 lb orzo pasta
- While the orzo is cooking, make dressing in the bottom of a large bowl. Set aside.⅓ cup olive oil, ⅔ cup lemon juice, ⅓ cup fresh basil, 2 tablespoon lemon zest, 2 tablespoon garlic, 2 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Once orzo is finished cooking, drain and lightly rinse with water. You don’t want to completely wash it off. Just a bit to help it cool down.
- Pour orzo on top of dressing. Add in the other salad ingredients. GIve everything a good stir. Serve immediately or allow to chill.1 14 ounce can garbanzo beans, 2 cups arugula, ½ cup feta, ¼ cup slivered almonds
Notes
Tips & Tricks
- Always zest citrus before juicing. It is much more challenging to get the skin off after it has ben cut into pieces.
- Only use fresh lemons. There is no substitute for the real thing.
- If the orzo sits too long in the strainer it will get clumpy. Give it a brief rinse then use a fork to break it up.
Nutrition
Calories: 543kcal | Carbohydrates: 77g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 735mg | Potassium: 388mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 296IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 138mg | Iron: 2mg
