This deliciously refreshing Orzo with Pesto is one of my favorite salads for busy weeks. It's ready in about 20 minutes, and it actually tastes better the next day, so it's great for make-ahead lunches.
I toss the warm orzo with my homemade wild garlic pesto, then add peppers, radishes, sun-dried tomatoes, and a simple lemon dressing. It's colorful, a little tangy, and works just as well as a side dish or a light meal on its own.
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Orzo with Pesto is full of Mediterranean flavors and makes a nutritious addition to your summer table. If you love fresh and healthy salads, you might also want to try my Lebanese Fattoush Salad and Çoban Salatası recipes.
Why This Recipe Works
- Tossing the pesto through the orzo while it is still warm means every grain gets coated in flavor instead of the pesto just sitting on top.
- It comes together with pantry staples like sun-dried tomatoes, capers, and pine nuts, so you likely have most of what you need already.
- It travels well and holds up in the fridge, making it an easy make-ahead side for parties, potlucks, and packed lunches.
- The sweet sultanas and briny capers balance the pesto so it never tastes one-note.
What Is Orzo?
Orzo (or risoni) is a small, rice-shaped pasta and is widely used in Turkish/Mediterranean cuisine to add to soups, salads, and pilaf dishes. You can find it at most big grocery shops and Turkish food markets.
It is often mistaken for rice because of its shape. Keep in mind that orzo is not gluten-free as it is made with wheat flour!
Check my Bulgur Pilaf, Youvetsi - Greek Beef and Orzo Stew, and Turkish Orzo Soup recipes for more dishes that use orzo.
Ingredients You'll Need
Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.
- Orzo - It is the star ingredient of this pasta salad. It is also known as risoni or risi. You can substitute it with any small pasta type such as ditalini and acini di pepe.
- Red onion - I love using red onions in my salad recipes as they are milder, have just the right amount of sharpness, and add beautiful color to salads.
- Peppers - I use red and yellow peppers to add some color to this delicious summer salad but you can use any pepper you have in your fridge.
- Pine nuts - They add extra crunchiness to the pasta as well as a nutty flavor. You can substitute it with pistachio nuts.
- Capers - They add a nice tanginess to the salad. you can substitute it with pitted and sliced olives if you don't like capers.
- Sun-dried tomatoes - I prefer using the ones that are in oil (in a jar) as they are plump and juicy. You can use fresh cherry tomatoes instead.
- Sultana - You can use raisins or currants if that's what you have in hand. Blueberries also work great with this salad.
- Radishes - They give a bright red color and a nice crunch to the salad. You can use cucumbers instead if you don't have radishes and you want to add some crunch to your orzo pasta salad.
- Pesto - I recommend using my homemade Wild Garlic Pesto for this recipe but you can use any pesto you have in hand.
For the Dressing
- Lemon - I zest a whole lemon and use its juice. Adjust it to your taste. Orange also works great with this recipe.
- Olive oil - I use good quality extra virgin olive oil for my salads as it makes a huge difference in taste.
- Herbs - I use a mixture of fresh dill and parsley. You can substitute them with mint, chervil, basil, or chives.
- Salt and Pepper - Adjust the amount to your taste. I use ½ teaspoon of salt and a pinch of freshly ground pepper for this recipe.
How to Make Orzo with Pesto
Cook The Orzo
Place a pan filled with water + salt on medium heat and bring it to a boil. Add your orzo pasta and cook it for nine minutes (or as long as it is stated on the packaging).
You can cook for a couple of more minutes if you don't like your orzo al dente. Drain the orzo well and give it a very quick rinse under cold water, just enough to stop the cooking, so it's still warm rather than hot.
Tossing the pesto through while the orzo is still warm helps it coat every grain instead of sitting on top, so don't let it cool down completely before the next step.
Prepare the Vegetables
While the pasta is cooking, you can prepare your vegetables. Simply peel and dice the red onion. Seed and dice the peppers the same size as the onions.
Lightly toast the pine nuts to intensify the flavor. Trim the tops and tips of the radishes and slice them finely.
Roughly chop the sun-dried tomatoes and capers. Wash, dry, and finely chop the herbs. Zest and juice one lemon.
Build the Salad
Place the warm orzo pasta in a large bowl. Toss in the pesto and seasoning straight away and mix well until combined, then let it cool for about 10 minutes.
Once the dressed orzo has cooled slightly, add the diced peppers, onions, sliced radishes, chopped capers, sun-dried tomatoes and herbs, lemon juice and zest, olive oil, pine nuts, and sultanas.
Mix all together gently with two forks until all are nicely combined. Garnish your orzo salad with sliced lemons and freshly cut cress.
Recipe Tips From the Chef
- Toss the pesto through the orzo while it's still warm so it coats every grain, then let it cool for about 10 minutes before adding the vegetables and herbs. If you add them while the orzo is still hot, they will begin to wilt.
- Same as when you cook any type of pasta, season the cooking water with a generous amount of salt to avoid blend-tasting salad.
- Don't forget to rinse the pasta under running cold water immediately after cooking it to avoid it getting sticky and lopsided.
- As with any fresh salad, use the best and freshest ingredients you can possibly get. Always use extra virgin olive oil and freshly squeezed lemon juice for the dressing.
Variations
- Swap the pesto. A sun-dried tomato pesto or a peppery arugula pesto both work well in place of basil pesto.
- Add protein. Stir in cooked chicken, shrimp, or chickpeas to turn this into a full meal.
- Swap the dried fruit. Dried cranberries or chopped dried apricots make a good stand-in for sultanas.
- Add cheese. Crumbled feta or shaved Parmesan on top adds a salty finish.
- Make it gluten-free. Use cooked whole-grain rice or quinoa instead of orzo.
Serving Suggestions
This Orzo with Pesto makes a great side for warm-weather mains straight off the grill, like Tantuni or Et Sote. It also pairs well with roasted Baked Boneless Chicken Thighs, or serve it alongside BBQ Grilled Shrimp Skewers for a full BBQ spread.
Alternatively, you can add some cooked / leftover chicken pieces or shrimp to your salad and turn it into a more substantial meal on its own!
Storage and Make-Ahead
This orzo with pesto is a great make-ahead dish. You can cook the pasta and prepare the vegetables up to two days ahead and keep them in separate airtight containers in the fridge. When you're ready to serve, toss everything together and finish with the lemon juice, zest, and olive oil.
Leftovers keep well in the fridge for up to three days in an airtight container. Give the salad a good mix with a few drops of olive oil and lemon juice before serving again, and let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes if it's gone straight from the fridge. I don't recommend freezing it, since the fresh vegetables lose their texture and turn mushy once thawed.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, this recipe works well with other small types of pasta such as ditalini and acini di pepe. Alternatively, you can use cooked whole-grain rice if you want to make this salad gluten-free.
Warm orzo absorbs the pesto and soaks up its flavor instead of the pesto just coating the outside. Let the dressed orzo cool for about 10 minutes before adding the raw vegetables and herbs, otherwise the residual heat will wilt them.
Yes, a good quality store-bought pesto works well if you're short on time. I'd recommend a fresh, refrigerated pesto over a shelf-stable jarred one for the best flavor.
Yes, this orzo salad is vegetarian. If you'd like to make it vegan, use a dairy-free pesto in place of one made with parmesan.
Orzo releases starch as it cooks, which can make it clump if it sits too long before dressing. A quick rinse under cold water after draining, and tossing the pesto through while the orzo is still warm, helps keep every grain separate.
Related Recipes
For more delicious Mediterranean Salad recipes why not try:
Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.
I hope you enjoy the process of making this fresh and herby Orzo with Pesto as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂
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Orzo with Pesto
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 1 cup orzo
- ¼ cup pine nuts (lightly toasted)
- ¼ cup sultanas
- 2 tablespoon capers (roughly chopped)
- 3 oz sun dried tomatoes (80 grams)
- ½ cup peppers (diced)
- 1 small red onion (diced)
- 1 cup radishes (sliced)
- 1 tablespoon wild garlic pesto
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the Dressing
- 1 juice and zest of lemon
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoon parsley (finely chopped)
- 1 tablespoon dill (finely chopped)
Instructions
Prepare the Orzo Pasta
- Place a pan filled with water + salt on medium heat and bring it to a boil.
- Add your orzo pasta and cook it for nine minutes (or as long as it is stated on the packaging). You can cook a couple of more minutes if you don't like your orzo al dente.
- Drain the orzo well and give it a very quick rinse under cold water, just enough to stop the cooking, so it's still warm rather than hot. This prevents the orzo from getting too soft and soggy.
- Set it aside to drain any extra moisture, stirring occasionally to prevent the pasta from sticking together.
Prepare the Ingredients
- Peel and dice the red onion.
- Deseed and dice the peppers the same size as the onions.
- Trim the tops and tips of the radishes and slice them finely.
- Roughly chop the sun-dried tomatoes and capers.
- Lightly toast the pine nuts for intensifying the flavor.
- Wash, dry, and finely chop the herbs.
- Zest and juice one lemon.
Build the Salad
- Place the warm orzo pasta in a large bowl.
- Toss in the pesto and seasoning straight away and mix well until combined, then let it cool for about 10 minutes.
- Once the dressed orzo has cooled slightly, add the diced peppers, onions, sliced radishes, chopped capers, sun-dried tomatoes and herbs, lemon juice & zest, olive oil, pine nuts, and sultanas.
- Mix all together gently with two forks until all nicely combined.
Notes
- Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to three days in an airtight container. I don't recommend freezing this salad, as the fresh vegetables lose their texture once thawed.
- You can cook the orzo and prep the vegetables up to two days ahead and keep them separate until you're ready to toss everything together.
- You can use cooked whole grain rice instead of orzo if you want to make this salad gluten-free.
- No wild garlic pesto on hand? A regular basil pesto works just as well.
- Toss the pesto through the orzo while it's still warm so it coats every grain, then let it cool for about 10 minutes before adding the vegetables and herbs.
- Give the orzo a very quick rinse under cold water right after draining, just enough to stop it cooking, so it doesn't turn soft and sticky.
- Season the pasta water generously with salt, it's your best chance to season the orzo itself.
- Use the best and freshest ingredients you can possibly get, and always use extra virgin olive oil and freshly squeezed lemon juice for the dressing.
Henriette says
I prepared the salad following exactly the recipe: it worked well and the result 1.) is perfectly tasty - a very balanced composition, 2.) looks beautiful - a joy for the eyes 3.) gives a good feeling after eating - not heavy but filling, when one is hungry!
For the second time I prepared the orzo salad without the dill and used a little more cress instead. The result is just a little bit more according to my taste. Dill is a bit to strong, the cess integrates itself better. Thanks!
Ayla Clulee says
Dear Henriette,
Thank you so much for your kind comment—it truly made my day! I’m delighted to hear you enjoyed the Orzo Pasta Salad; it’s a favorite in our home as well.
Best wishes,
Ayla
Sanem says
Absolutely delicious. I thought lemon zest would be over power the dish but it was perfect. Thanks for sharing