Simple Orzo Salad With Pesto

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Ready in around 15 minutes, this orzo salad with pesto is such an easy side dish for a midweek meal or summer BBQ. Made with just orzo pasta, basil pesto, fresh spinach and tangy parmesan, it may be simple but it’s also beautifully fresh and flavorful.

Add toasted pine nuts for crunch, or why not make it a main dish by adding chicken or salmon? With the option to enjoy this Mediterranean orzo salad either cold or hot, it’ll become a firm family favorite!

A closeup of an overhead view of a white bowl of pesto salad with orzo with grated parmesan and basil on top, all on a brown wicker background with a spoon in the background at the top.

Why you’ll love it

  • Fresh and flavorful, despite having few ingredients. Small orzo pasta easily soaks up the flavors in the salad.
  • Such a quick and easy pasta salad. Orzo cooks in around half the time as rice, so you’ll only need around 15 minutes to make this.
  • Delicious Mediterranean flavors. The herby, garlic-y, fresh taste of the pesto and spinach contrast perfectly with the rich and salty parmesan and crunchy pine nuts. The splash of vinegar adds a little tang.
  • Versatile! Serve as an easy midweek side dish alongside chicken, fish or a vegetarian main. Or add meat, fish, beans, cheese and extra veggies to transform it into a tasty main.
  • Great for making ahead. Take along to a party, pot luck or barbecue. Also perfect for work or school lunch boxes!

About the ingredients

An overhead view of all the ingredients needed to make an orzo salad with pesto including orzo pasta, pine nuts, parmesan, fresh basil, salt and pepper, garlic, vinegar and olive oil, all on a marble background.

Dried orzo pasta: This small pasta looks like large grains of rice. But it’s definitely pasta, not rice! You can find it in the pasta aisle of most grocery stores. Note that it’s sometimes called risoni instead of orzo.

If you can’t find it where you live, good substitutes would be pearl couscous or another small pasta shape such as ditalini, fregola, acini de pepe or even small macaroni.

For the pesto

Fresh basil: Try to grab a nice fresh bunch of basil to make the pesto for this salad.

In case you don’t have a food processor, feel free to buy a good quality jarred pesto from a supermarket. Bear in mind that most commercially produced pestos these days contain cashew nuts rather than pine nuts, in case there’s an allergy to consider.

Pine nuts: These can be on the expensive side, but you don’t need many. You can sometimes buy them ready-toasted. But if you can’t find them toasted it’s worth spending the extra few minutes to toast them yourself, for extra flavor and crunch!

If you’re finding pine nuts hard to come by, you can easily substitute with a tree nut such as almonds or cashews. Even peanuts will work.

A garlic clove: You’ll only need a small clove, since the garlic will be added to the pesto raw.

Extra virgin olive oil: This is actually a key ingredient in the recipe, so it’s worth going for a good quality brand.

Baby spinach: The fresher the better! Of course, you can substitute with regular fresh spinach – just chop finely.

Parmesan cheese: It’s best to use either thickly grated parmesan or shaved parmesan in this recipe.

Vinegar: I use either white wine vinegar or cider vinegar, but any white vinegar is fine. Alternatively, you can use lemon juice instead for a hint of zesty flavor.

Salt and pepper: I usually season the finished orzo with pesto to taste. Since the parmesan is already salty, you won’t need to add much salt.

How to make an orzo salad with pesto

The step-by-step guide below should help you make the recipe perfectly first time. Scroll down to the end for the full recipe including ingredient amounts.

The first step is to boil the orzo pasta in a large pot of water according to the packet instructions. Follow the instructions for ‘al dente’ pasta. Alternatively, simply take a minute or two off the regular cooking time.

When it’s ready, drain and rinse in cold water. Then put the cooked orzo into a large bowl.

Meanwhile, you can toast the pine nuts (if they aren’t toasted already). Simply toss them around for a few minutes in a dry pan (no oil needed!). Keep a close eye on them. You want them to be a golden brown color, but obviously not burned.

A collage of 2 images overhead showing first orzo pasta boiling in a saucepan and then pine nuts being toasted in a frying pan, both on a marble background.

The next step is to make a batch of fresh basil pesto. It’s so quick and easy! Just add all of the ingredients to a mini food processor (or any food processor) and pulse for a few seconds.

Collage of 2 images showing overhead of a food processor bowl with all pesto ingredients in and again with all the ingredients pulsed together to make pesto, both on a marble background with white tea towel.

Then all you have to do is add the fresh pesto to the cold orzo pasta.

A collage of 2 images showing someone emptying fresh pesto into a bowl of orzo pasta and next to it the pesto stirred into the orzo, all on a marble background.

Then you can stir in the vinegar, along with the chopped spinach and most of the parmesan.

Pile into a serving bowl. If you like, you can drizzle over a little extra olive oil.

Look how green and fresh your pesto orzo salad looks!

A collage of 2 images showing an overhead of all the ingredients for orzo pesto salad in a bowl and next to it combined with someone pouring olive oil into it, both on a marble background with tea towel.
A closeup of a white bowl of pesto orzo salad with chopped spinach, parmesan and pine nuts visible on the top, and with someone drizzling olive oil over the bowl.

Helen’s top tips

  • Only cook the orzo pasta until it’s ‘al dente’ or ‘still a little firm’. This literally means ‘to the tooth’ in Italian.
  • If serving your orzo pasta salad cold, cover and chill for around 4 hours in the fridge before serving. Prefer to serve warm? Don’t rinse the orzo in cold water after boiling. Simply drain and stir through a little olive oil to prevent sticking.
  • It’s worth making your own pesto sauce. Most shop-bought pestos contain substitute (usually cheaper) ingredients. A mini food processor or chopper is perfect, although any food processor or blender will do the job.
  • Also bear in mind that basil is quite easy to grow in a pot in summer! It’s much more convenient (and more affordable) to grown your own.

How to serve

I think this pesto orzo salad is perfect on the side with any kind of grilled or barbecued meat or fish. Try it with these oven chicken kabobs, this marinated Greek chicken, these easy air fryer chicken thighs (also possible in the oven!), or another simple chicken recipe.

It also goes so well with this 10-minute salmon with dill yogurt sauce.

You can serve it as a single side dish or together with other Mediterranean style sides. I like a classic Greek ‘village’ salad or Greek lettuce salad and perhaps a little tsatziki sauce as well.

If you want to serve it with a show-stopper, try this Italian burrata caprese salad.

To keep the meal vegetarian, this risoni salad would also pair well with this delicious baked eggplant recipe. Or how about cauliflower fritters, Greek zucchini fries, or perhaps the best crustless quiche you ever tasted?

Also, it’s actually equally as delicious served cold or warm!

Variations

I love this pesto orzo pasta salad just as it is, for its fresh, refreshing flavors and simplicity. However, there are so many ways to make it your own. Here are a few ideas.

  • Add meat or fish. I’m thinking leftover rotisserie chicken (or any chicken!), flaked salmon, shrimp, bacon, chorizo, or any other protein you like. Serve as a main dish, or a work or school lunch.
  • Keep it vegetarian but add canned chickpeas (or another type of canned bean), crispy halloumi bites, tofu or chopped hard-boiled egg for added protein.
  • Add more veggie goodness. How about cubed bell peppers, cucumber, juicy cherry tomatoes or red onion? Or how about jarred sundried tomatoes, artichoke hearts or green or Kalamata olives? No pre-cooking necessary!
  • Add more cheese. Feta works brilliantly, as does sliced mozzarella balls, or really any cheese you like.
  • Try a different type of pasta. I know, it’s an orzo pasta salad recipe, but you can achieve a similar result using pearl couscous or another type of small pasta.

Recipe FAQ

How long will this orzo salad with pesto keep?

If you keep it in the fridge in an airtight container, it will keep well for up to 3-4 days.

Why is my orzo mushy?

You’ve probably overcooked it. Keep an eye on it while cooking and make sure you only cook it until ‘al dente’ or just done. Take a couple of minutes off the regular cooking time and go from there.

Is there a difference between risoni and orzo?

They are so similar that you can use them in recipes interchangeably. They are both shaped like grains of rice, but orzo tends to be a bit larger than risoni. Just bear in mind that risoni may therefore cook a bit faster.

More easy orzo recipes

Got leftover orzo (risoni) pasta in the pantry? Here are some more ways to use it up.

Or check out this amazing list of 38 best risoni (orzo) recipes. There are more salads, but also one pan orzo dinners, orzo soups and more!

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A closeup of an overhead view of a white bowl of pesto salad with orzo with grated parmesan and basil on top, all on a brown wicker background with a spoon in the background at the top.

Simple Orzo Salad With Pesto

This 15-minute orzo salad with pesto is packed with freshly-made basil and olive oil pesto, toasted pine nuts, shredded baby spinach and parmesan cheese. This is a simple, subtle salad that would be perfect served with other 'little' salads, as an easy midweek side dish or for a party or summer BBQ side.
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 15 minutes
Servings: 6 as a side dish

Ingredients 
 

  • cups orzo pasta, Sometimes called risoni.
  • 1 cup fresh basil, About 2 big handfuls or a small to medium sized bunch.
  • ¼ cup pine nuts, Buy ready toasted or follow instructions in recipe to toast yourself.
  • 1 small clove garlic
  • 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus a little extra for drizzling (good quality if possible)
  • 2 cups baby spinach leaves, fresh, washed and finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated (quite thickly)
  • 2 tablespoons vinegar, White wine vinegar or cider vinegar are good choices. Or use lemon juice.
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions 

  • Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions for 'al dente' or 'just cooked' (if no instructions for al dente then cook for a little less time than suggested). Drain and rinse in cold water and put into a large bowl. Unless serving hot in which case don't rinse in cold water.
    1¼ cups orzo pasta
  • Meanwhile, if not using ready-toasted pine nuts, toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan on a medium heat. Keep an eye on them, tossing them around until they are lightly brown. Then set aside to cool.
    ¼ cup pine nuts
  • Then make the homemade pesto. Put most of the basil, about half of the toasted pine nuts, the garlic and the olive oil into the bowl of a food processor (a small food processor is perfect). Pulse for a few seconds until well combined.
    1 cup fresh basil, 1 small clove garlic, 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • Pour the pesto over the orzo and mix well. Then add the chopped spinach, the rest of the basil (chopped a little), the rest of the pine nuts, the parmesan and vinegar and combine again. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
    2 cups baby spinach leaves, 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoons vinegar, salt and pepper
  • Spoon the pasta salad into a serving bowl, then drizzle over a little extra olive oil to serve.

Notes

Orzo: Sometimes called risoni. Find it in the pasta aisle at most supermarkets. You can sometimes buy it in different sizes. Any size orzo/risoni is fine. Be careful not to overcook.
Pesto: Since this recipe only has a few simple ingredients, I like to make my own quick homemade pesto with good quality ingredients. However, feel free to use a good quality store-bought pesto to save time or if you don’t have a food processor (look for a pesto made with olive oil rather than a substitute).
How to serve: Serve this pesto orzo salad like you’d serve any cold pasta salad. It makes a great cold side dish either by itself with grilled fish or meat or with other simple sides. Great midweek or at a party or summer barbecue. 
Alternatively, serve hot or warm. Feel free to add shredded rotisserie chicken, cooked salmon or chickpeas or halloumi for extra protein. 
If serving your orzo pasta salad cold, cover and chill for around 4 hours in the fridge before serving. If you prefer to serve it warm, don’t rinse the orzo in cold water after boiling. Simply drain and stir through a little olive oil to prevent sticking.
Variations: Add crumbled feta cheese, mozzarella or another cheese, cubed raw vegetables such as bell peppers, cucumbers or tomatoes, sundried tomatoes or cooked asparagus spears to this salad if you like. 
If orzo/risoni isn’t available, this pesto pasta salad will also work with another small pasta shape such as pearl couscous, ditalini, acini or elbow macaroni.

Nutrition

Calories: 413kcal, Carbohydrates: 41g, Protein: 12g, Fat: 23g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 13g, Cholesterol: 3mg, Sodium: 145mg, Potassium: 627mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 7647IU, Vitamin C: 23mg, Calcium: 157mg, Iron: 4mg
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About Helen Schofield

Don't expect to find anything fussy or complicated here. Just QUICK, EASY & (mostly!) HEALTHY recipes from the Mediterranean and beyond. ENJOY!

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60 Comments

  1. Hi Helen – another great recipe – I fried the orzo in butter until golden then cooked in vegetable stock till al dente; the pesto I used was homemade with macadamia nuts, the served cold with the extra basil leaves, baby spinach and olive oil – yummy.
    Ted

    1. I love hearing about the tweaks you make to the recipes, Ted. As always, thanks for the feedback, and I’m so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂

  2. This recipe looks wonderful!
    Could you please tell me what temperature this salad is served at?

    1. Hi Beth! Great question! I serve it cold (just rinse the pasta in cold water when it’s cooked, or eat from the fridge). There are absolutely no rules though. If you prefer the idea of eating it warm, then go ahead! Enjoy!

  3. I just love how green this is! haha I don’t know what it is lately but I am loving so many green veggies, etc. that sort of thing! This orzo looks wonderful!

    1. Really happy you like this salad, Ashley … I’m loving green veggies at the moment, too. It must be the hankering after summer …

  4. Helen, can I confess that 6 months ago I didn’t even know what orzo was. Isn’t that terrible? I just love the green-ish pop of color to this dish. You got the spinach, the pesto and the parm. Ok, that’s not green and would be pretty gross if it were! And I love the pine nuts and basil in here. I think I can smell this all the way from Niagara Falls and my belly is telling me, eat it , eat it. Is that possible?

    1. Ooh, now you’ve put an image of myself sitting by Niagara Falls eating a big bowl of this, Laura! Maybe I will do that some day! 🙂

  5. You know, I have a lonely box of orzo in my pantry that I bought for something else, and I’ve been stumped about what to use the rest of it for – and now I’ve found it! So pretty and springtime looking. 🙂

    1. Hello, Kate! Thanks so much for visiting! Really happy to have helped you out with that lonely orzo 😉

  6. The jacket potato story with bits made me laugh. And like you M&S has inspired me to make quite a few recipes too, I really, really love this. Saw Nigella using Orzo and have been meaning to try it ever since.

    1. Glad to have entertained you, Mariana! 😉 I might go back into Marks and see what other ideas I can steal … lol! Do try an orzo salad. It’s great hot cooked a bit like risotto, too!

  7. I love orzo, though I always make mine exactly the same way with smoked salmon. This looks delicious!!!

  8. This is a great dish to take anyplace, if you can bear to part with it! It looks so yummy you just might want to stay in and gobble it up alone 🙂

  9. Helen…I love dishes like this…probably because I have a secret love affair with pesto and orzo. Lovely dish!

  10. This salad looks so fresh and amazing and so perfect for spring! Orzo is my favorite cut of pasta and I’m loving all that gorgeous green stuff in here!

    1. Thanks, Sarah! This salad did end up rather ‘green’, didn’t it? Lucky it’s the ‘right’ time of year!