Spring Orzo Pasta Salad with Green Goddess Dressing
Featuring homemade green goddess dressing, asparagus, and peas, this light and flavorful pasta salad is a great addition to any menu, and its fun green color adds a beautiful hue to every table!
Ingredients
for the Green Goddness Dressing
- 2 lemons juiced
- 1/2 cup olive oil I like extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves packed
- 1 cup baby spinach packed
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup cashews
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
for Spring Orzo Pasta Salad
- 1 lb cooked orzo pasta
- 1 cup peas you can use fresh or frozen peas. Frozen peas should be thawed before adding to the salad.
- 1 cup marinated artichoke hearts drained and roughly chopped.
- 1 cup thinly sliced fresh asparagus I would recommend blanching the asparagus before adding it to the salad, but it can also be added and eaten raw.
- 1 cup green goddess dressing homemade or store-bought. More or less, depending on how strong a flavor you want.
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
to make the Green Goddess Dressing
- Place the cashews in a small bowl and cover with water. Allow the cashews to soak for at least 30 minutes before making the dressing. This will soften slightly, making them easy to blend and giving you a creamier finished dressing.
- After the cashews have finished soaking, drain and place in a food processor. Add the remaining dressing ingredients and blend on high speed until smooth and creamy. Adding a little water if needed to help everything blend more smoothly, or to thin the dressing to your desired consistency.
- Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if needed.
- Transfer to a jar or an airtight container and store in the fridge until ready to use.
to make the Spring Orzo Pasta Salad
- In a large bowl, combine the cooked orzo, peas, artichokes, and asparagus, and toss to combine.
- Add the dressing and stir until everything is completely coated. (I would recommend starting with just a 1/2 cup of dressing, then mix. taste, and decide if you want more or not. I normally like a lot of dressing on my salads and will sometimes add more than 1 cup. So feel free to add as much or as little as you like to better suit your taste!)
- Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.
- Transfer the finished pasta salad to an airtight container or cover tightly with plastic wrap, and place in the fridge. Orzo pasta salad should be be refrigtoraded for at least 2 hours before serving.
- Serve alongside any of your favorite main dishes or bring as a dish to pass for your next picnic, potluck, or cookout.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Green goddess dressing can be stored in an airtight container or glass jar in the fridge for up to 5 days.
You can also use this dressing to top any of your favorite salads, not just this recipe!
Spring orzo pasta salad can be stored in an airtight container or covered tightly with plastic wrap in the frdige for up to 5 days.
Feel free to add any of your favorite spring or summer veggies to this pasta salad. Red onion, green onions, lemon zest, cherry tomatoes, and almost any fresh herbs would all make a delicious addition to this salad!
A quick tip I like to use any time I’m making a pasta salad is to cook my pasta al dente, drain it, and immediately rinse it under cold water until it is completely cooled before setting it aside until ready to use. This keeps the pasta from sticking together and from overcooking and getting mushy.
Nutrition
Calories: 376kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 8gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 757mgPotassium: 236mgFiber: 4gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 1079IUVitamin C: 30mgCalcium: 78mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!