Name: Pesto Orzo Salad
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2 c orzo (uncooked); 1 ½ c baby spinach (chopped); 10 oz grape or cherry tomatoes (halved); 2 c fresh mozzarella (cut into bite sized pieces); 2 c fresh basil (stems removed); 1-2 garlic cloves; 3 T pine nuts; 2 tsp lemon juice; 1/2 - 2/3 c olive oil; 1/3 c parmesan (grated); ½ tsp Salt; ½ tsp Pepper; Salt/pepper to taste

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This Pesto Orzo Salad is a fresh and simple salad made with a handful of simple ingredients. Filled with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, a homemade basil pesto. Whip it up in under 30 minutes, add a protein to make it a meal, the possibilities are endless!

Pesto orzo salad with cherry tomatoes, mozzarella and spinach in white bowl.

Pasta salads, especially those with orzo are my FAVORITE. One of the most popular summer recipes on lemons + zest is this Lemon Orzo Salad so it's time to bring another fresh orzo summer salad! Don't stop with these two, check out our Favorite Summer Salad Recipes as well!

Why You Will Love This Pesto Orzo Salad:

It can be prepared in under 30 minutes. Not a lot to making this pesto orzo salad. Cook the orzo, whip up the basil pesto, chop the tomatoes and mozzarella and toss it all together. So easy! For an even quicker salad, you can technically buy already made pesto and save yourself a few minutes there as well--although I highly recommend making your own.
Very simple to customize and add to the salad. This salad is actually pretty basic overall in the way of ingredients. You can add your own flair to it in so many ways. You can also modify it to meet your own dietary needs.
So delicious! The main reason to make it if you ask me. The pesto paired with tomatoes, mozzarella and orzo is just an amazing combination. Starting to make me wonder if this Tortellini Caprese Salad could also use a little pesto.
A great way to use garden fresh produce! Basil is one of our favorites over the summer to grow. We also have a neighbor that grows amazing tomatoes. What more could I ask for? A salad like this orzo pesto salad to use said fresh veggies and herbs in! Nothing beats that fresh from the garden flavor.

Orzo salad with pesto, mozzarella, tomatoes and chopped spinach in white bowl with towel beside it.

Recipe Ingredients:

orzo: orzo is a rice like pasta if you haven't used it before. You will find it in the pasta aisle. You could possibly use another short pasta like macaroni perhaps, but the orzo is my personal favorite.
tomatoes: any sort of bite sized tomato, grape, cherry, etc. Halved or quartered, whatever your preference.
mozzarella: fresh mozzarella--nothing compares. You could use mozzarella pearls for more convenience, but I like the rougher, chopped slices as they hold the pesto a bit better than the pearls.
basil: again, fresh is key and the only option in this orzo pesto salad. It is the star of the pesto.
pine nuts: pine nuts are a bit pricy, so you could opt for walnuts if preferred. For a nut allergy, you can omit the pine nuts completely or use shelled pumpkin seeds (pepitas).
olive oil: use a nice olive oil if possible to add optimal flavor
lemon juice: fresh from the lemon is best, but if you only have the bottled, use it. You can add a touch of lemon zest as well for more vibrance.
garlic: cloves or minced fresh garlic. You can toss the whole cloves into the food processor as it will break it down.
parmesan: grated makes for the best pesto. You can omit it if desired.
salt/pepper: I give amounts but throughout the recipe, feel free to adjust to your own taste!

Step-By-Step Instructions:

Boil a pot of water to cook the orzo and cook according to al dente instructions. Toast the pine nuts stove top in a skillet over medium heat for about 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, or until lightly browned and fragrant. They will burn fast so keep an eye on them. Remove them from the stove and allow to cool before making the pesto.

While the orzo cooks, prepare the pesto. Combine the basil, garlic and cooled pine nuts in a food processor or high powered blender. Process until broken down and an almost paste like texture. Scrape down the sides as needed.

Add the salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Add half the olive oil and process. Continue to pour the olive oil in as you blend the ingredients until a nice smooth texture. Add the parmesan and process until fully combined.

Basil, pine nuts, and garlic in food processor.

Basil and pine nuts broken down into paste in food processor.

Once the orzo is cooked, drain and run a bit of cool water over it so it doesn't continue to cook. Add the chopped spinach to the orzo and allow it to wilt before transferring to a mixing bowl.

Add the orzo, spinach, diced tomatoes, mozzarella and about ¾ of the pesto to a medium bowl. Toss well to combine. You can reserve the remaining pesto until ready to serve if desired. If the mixture seems too dry you can also add an extra 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil.

Allow the orzo pesto salad to chill until ready to serve. Top with extra toasted pine nuts and freshly chopped basil if desired when serving.

Cooked orzo and spinach in glass mixing bowl

Orzo, tomatoes, mozzarella, and pesto in glass mixing bowl.

Pesto Orzo Salad Recipe Notes:

You want the pesto in this orzo salad to be on the thin side. While some pestos can be slightly thick, in order to coat all of the ingredients, you want the pesto to be more on the runny side. This will allow it to easily toss with the ingredients. Add a bit extra olive oil if needed when making.
Toast your pine nuts! This only takes a minute or two, but adds so much more to your pesto. Allow them to cool before adding to the pesto by lining them on parchment for about 10-15 minutes.
To make this nut free, use pepitas (pumpkin seeds removed from shells). Toast them as well for a great pesto. You can also omit the nuts completely and adjust the olive oil to use about 1-2 tablespoons less.
For an extra pop of flavor, add some lemon zest. I went back and forth on whether or not to make this an actual ingredient in the recipe, but not everyone has been on board with the extra zing from adding the lemon zest. If it sounds good to you, toss in about 1 teaspoon lemon zest when stirring the salad.
You can prep this salad a day in advance. This salad is actually better the next day to be honest. If preparing it in advance, you can toss all of the ingredients together, reserving about ¼ of the pesto to toss in just before serving. An extra drizzle of olive oil when serving is great as well.

Possible Salad Add-Ins:

This salad is great just as directed in the recipe, but even I like to shake things up sometimes. Try tossing in some other ingredients for more goodness!

grilled chicken, cubed
grilled shrimp
diced red onion
grilled zucchini, quartered
sliced cucumber
chopped artichokes
shredded parmesan (more cheese, always!)
sun-dried tomatoes
diced yellow or red bell pepper
arugula
sliced olives

White serving bowl with orzo salad with pesto.

Storage Instructions:

Store this pesto pasta salad in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can prep it a day in advance if planning to serve it at a gathering.

Before serving, allow the orzo salad to sit out for about 10-15 minutes for the olive oil in the pesto to become liquid again. Toss the salad with extra pesto or an extra drizzle of olive oil just before serving.