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orzo pesto pasta salad in a white ceramic bowl with ingredients behind it
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Orzo Pesto Pasta Salad

A vibrant and flavourful pasta salad that is packed with nutrients and plant-based protein.
Course Salad
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 6
Author Ashlen Leonard

Ingredients

Roasted vegetables

  • 1 cup cauliflower chopped into small florets
  • 1 cup zucchini chopped into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • ⅛ tsp each of salt and black pepper

Pasta salad

  • 1 540ml can chickpeas drained and rinsed, about 2 cups of chickpeas
  • 1 cup orzo uncooked
  • ½ medium red onion diced
  • ½ cup feta cheese crumbled
  • ¼ cup pesto homemade or store bought
  • ½ tsp salt
  • Black pepper to taste
  • ¼ cup Basil Balsamic Dressing*

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400℉ and line a baking sheet with tin foil.
  • To a large bowl, add the chopped cauliflower and zucchini. Drizzle on the olive oil and add the garlic, salt and pepper. Mix until the veggies are coated.
  • Transfer the vegetables to the lined baking sheet and place it in the oven for about 15-20 minutes or until soft.
  • While the veggies roast, cook the orzo on the stove top according to the package directions (or see instructions in this post) and prepare the Basil Balsamic Dressing (see notes below).
  • Once the vegetables are roasted and the orzo has cooked, add them to a large bowl. Next, add the drained and rinsed chickpeas, red onion and pesto. Mix well until everything is coated in the pesto. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Right before you serve the salad, pour about ¼ cup of Basil Balsamic Dressing on top. Enjoy!

Notes

*Find the full recipe for the Basil Balsamic Dressing here.
 

Substitutions and add-ins

  • Broccoli
    • Use this in place of the cauliflower
  • White beans or lentils
    • Instead of chickpeas, you can experiment with these alternative legumes.
  • Rice
    • I highly recommend using orzo in this dish because it pairs so well with the other textures, but if you don’t have it, you can use rice instead.
  • Homemade basil pesto
    • If you have a homemade version of pesto that you would prefer to use, by all means incorporate it in this recipe!
  • Fresh mozzarella
    • In case you don’t like feta, feel free to opt for an alternative cheese like chopped or crumbled fresh mozzarella.
  • Cherry tomatoes
    • Adding some sliced or chopped cherry tomatoes would add an excellent element of freshness to this salad!
  • Toasted pine nuts
    • Add a handful of toasted pine nuts on top to amplify the nuttiness of the pesto and enhance the overall texture.
  • Lemon juice
    • Squeeze some fresh lemon juice over the salad for a vibrant citrusy flavour.
 

Dietary considerations

  • This recipe is naturally vegetarian.
  • Gluten free: Use gluten-free orzo. 
  • Nut free: opt for a nut-free pesto.
  • Dairy free: use dairy free feta cheese or alternative dairy-free cheese.