Potluck Orzo Pasta Salad Recipes

ORZO PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Make dressing by adding all of the ingredients to either a small bowl and whisking or a jar and shaking. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• In a large nonstick skillet, melt butter with olive oil over medium-low heat. Once melted, increase heat to medium-high and add orzo and red onions and sauté for 3-5 minutes, until red onion are soft.
• Stir in chicken broth, lemon juice salt and pepper. Simmer until orzo is al dente, 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently the last couple minutes of cooking so it doesn't burn. If you have leftover liquid, drain orzo. Transfer to a large bowl to cool in the refrigerator while you finish chopping your veggies.
• Add all of the salad ingredients to the orzo followed by the dressing. Toss to coat.
• Taste and season with additional lemon juice or salt and pepper to taste.

ORZO VEGETABLE SALAD

Steps:

• Cook orzo according to package directions., Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, artichokes, spinach, onions, cheese and capers. In a small bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients., Drain orzo and rinse in cold water. Add to vegetable mixture., Pour dressing over salad; toss to coat. Chill until serving.

ORZO PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Cook orzo according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain and place in a large bowl.
• While orzo cooks, combine lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, oil, salt, garlic, and honey. Whisk until well combined.
• Toss the corn, chopped red pepper, & chopped zucchini with olive oil and salt and pepper on a tray.
• Cook for 20-25 minutes, flipping every 7-8 minutes in the preheated oven. (Cook until crisp tender)
• Remove and allow to cool.
• Toss completely cooled vegetables, completely cooled pasta, cubed mozzarella, and ribboned basil with the dressing and chill in the fridge until ready to enjoy.
• Add salt and pepper to taste!
• Enjoy!

VEGAN LEMON BASIL ORZO PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Cook orzo according to package directions. Drain in a colander, then return to cooking pot and add 2 tsp olive oil and stir to keep the noodles from sticking together. If you want to serve this salad cold, let pasta cool for 2-3 hours in the refrigerator.
• To make vegan parmesan, combine the walnuts, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and sea salt in a food processor. Pulse for about 15 seconds to create a coarse meal. Try not to over-process.
• Slice cherry tomatoes in half and julienne the basil leaves. Zest one medium lemon.
• Combine the cooked pasta with the vegan Parmesan, tomatoes, basil, and lemon zest. Stir together. Add about 3 Tbsp olive oil and juice of 1/2 lemon. Taste and add more lemon juice if desired (I used a whole lemon). Add salt to taste, and serve.

SPINACH ORZO PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Pre heat the oven to 390F / 220c.
• Place the tomatoes on a parchment lined tin, drizzle with a little oil and roast for 15 to 20 minutes until soft. Place to one side.
• Add the oil, basil, sugar and lemon juice to a blender. Blend on high speed until well mixed.
• Cook the orzo pasta according to package instructions; cook in salted boiling water for 5 to 6 minutes.
• While the pasta is cooking, roughly chop the baby spinach.
• Drain the spinach and transfer to a large bowl. Stir the spinach in straight away so that the pasta is still warm and the spinach wilts a little.
• Pour over the basil oil and stir until combined.
• Let sit for 30 minutes before serving with the roasted tomatoes.

CILANTRO LIME CONFETTI ORZO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350℉. Place chicken in a large baking dish & drizzle with oil. Salt & pepper to taste. Bake for 25-30 mins or until reaches internal temperature of 165℉. Let chicken rest for about 10 mins and then cube.
• In the meantime whisk together olive oil, lime juice, zest, garlic, cumin, chili powder, garlic, salt and cilantro. Set aside.
• Prepare veggies and set aside.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once boiling cook orzo for 8-9 mins stirring occasionally. Drain immediately & place into large mixing boil. Toss with vinaigrette, veggies, beans, chicken and cheese.
• Refrigerate or eat immediately. Tastes wonderful cold.

GREEK ORZO SALAD

Steps:

• Bring a pot of water to boil. Season the water with a small palmful of sea salt and add in the pasta. Stir and follow the package directions for cooking times. Once the pasta is cooked, drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Drain well.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine cooked pasta with halved cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, red onion, olives, feta, chopped spinach and fresh herbs.
• Drizzle with some of the dressing, toss to combine and refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Right before serving, toss with more dressing as desired. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

POTLUCK ORZO PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Cook orzo in 6-8 qt pot of boiling water according to pkg directions (7-9 minutes) Drain and rinse with cold water; drain well.
• Toss in large bowl with 1 1/2 T olive oil.
• Add chopped vegetables, beans, and olives In separate small bowl, combine olive juice, sesame oil, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, oregano, dill weed, mustard and curry.
• Gradually whisk in remaining 1/2 cup olive oil.
• Add salt and ground pepper to taste.
• Add dressing to orzo mixture and blend well.
• At this point taste the salad, and add more of whatever you prefer (I added more dijon).
• Toast pine nuts on a cookie sheet in a 350 degree oven for 5-10 minutes.
• Sprinkle on top of salad just before serving.
• Can be made 1 day ahead.
• Makes approximately 10 cups.

PESTO ORZO AND SUMMER VEGETABLE PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Prep all of the vegetables and then set them aside. Note that if you're using frozen corn, be sure to defrost it. Also, if the tomatoes are very juicy, lightly pat them dry with a paper towel.
• Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Once boiling, heavily salt the water and cook the orzo per the recommended timing on the packaging.
• Drain the orzo in a fine mesh strainer once it's done cooking, and then rinse it under cold water until it's brought down to room temperature.
• Immediately add the cooled orzo to a large bowl and coat it in the pesto. This is important because if the pasta is allowed to sit without the oil from the pesto, it will stick to itself and be ruined.
• Next, fold the vegetables and the mozzarella balls into the pesto orzo.
• Chill in the refrigerator for one hour before serving. This dish can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator for up to five days.