A delicious chilled orzo pasta salad with a fresh lemon vinaigrette dressing, tender pieces of asparagus and creamy feta cheese.
This is a great salad to bring to gatherings. It's fresh, delicious, easy to make, and it looks beautiful.
Ingredients
Using fresh dill will yield a tastier result than dried.
Use freshly squeezed lemon juice from a fresh lemon rather than concentrate.
Use olive oil or a neutral flavored oil of choice.
Instructions
Boil the pasta to al dente. Refer to package directions.
Drain, then rinse with cold water until the orzo pasta is cooled off.
In the same pot that cooked the orzo pasta, add 1-2 inch pieces of asparagus and sauté for 3-4 minutes until bright green in some olive oil or a bit of butter.
Season the asparagus with salt and pepper, and remove from the pan to cool.
Next, mix the lemon vinaigrette.
Whisk together the minced shallot, oil, lemon juice, agave or honey, and salt and pepper until evenly blended.
Set the dressing aside.
In a large bowl, toss together the cooked orzo, asparagus, dill and half of the dressing.
Add the feta, lightly toss, and add more dressing to taste.
Keep the orzo pasta salad chilled until it's ready to serve.
Try these other similar recipes below if you are looking for fresh recipes using seasonal ingredients like this one.
Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad with Asparagus
Ingredients
- 8 oz orzo pasta cooked according to package directions
- 1 pound asparagus trimmed into 1 inch pieces
- ⅛ cup light olive oil plus more for sautéing
- 1 shallot minced
- 1 large lemon juice of
- 1 teaspoon honey or agave
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt more or less to taste
- coarse ground black pepper to taste
- 4 oz feta cheese crumbled
- 2-3 sprigs fresh dill minced
Instructions
- Boil orzo according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water until no longer hot.
- In the same pan sauté the asparagus with a bit of olive oil until bright green and slightly tender. Season with salt and pepper.
- Whisk the minced shallot, ⅛ cup olive oil, teaspoon of agave or honey, juice of one lemon, a teaspoon of coarse salt and coarse black pepper until blended.
- Toss the cooked orzo pasta, asparagus, and half of the whisked lemon vinaigrette in a large bowl with the minced dill until combined.
- Add crumbled feta cheese, and more dressing if desired. Season with salt and pepper, toss lightly and chill for at least 30 minutes.
- Store and serve the orzo pasta salad chilled.
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