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Home » Salad

Published: Mar 6, 2020 · Modified: May 11, 2021 by Kathy

Asparagus Pasta Salad

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Orzo pasta with asparagus and cherry tomatoes.

Light asparagus pasta salad made with fresh asparagus, orzo pasta, fresh basil and a lemony vinaigrette. This versatile asparagus salad is a perfect side dish for dinner or as a main dish for lunch. 

Asparagus Pasta Salad with tomatoes and green onions in a white bowl.

Tasty asparagus salad

I love salads that I can make ahead of time and serve for dinner or pack up into small containers and take in my lunch. This asparagus pasta salad holds up well and is perfect for bringing to a potluck. You can easily double this recipe to serve a crowd. 

Orzo Pasta

Orzo pasta is a small rice-shaped pasta. It's perfect in salads because of its size, but it is also perfect because it can be used in a lot of recipes instead of rice. When my kids were little I often served orzo pasta with butter and herbs. They also called it rice. I always corrected them, but in their mind it was rice.

As teenagers they still love orzo and now they've got the name down. They love this salad and if it's in the fridge they will eat it as a snack after school and sometimes as a midnight snack. Teenagers seem to be hungry all the time and can eat, eat, eat!

This pasta salad is best when asparagus is in season. 

Pasta salad in a small dish.

Key ingredients

  • Orzo pasta
  • Fresh asparagus
  • Cherry tomatoes
  • Fresh Basil
  • Lemons
  • Green Onions
A board topped with asparagus, tomatoes, orzo, green onions and a half of a lemon.

To Make Salad

  1. Blanch asparagus by dropping chopped asparagus into a pot of boiling water for 2 minutes. Remove asparagus and plunge into ice cold water.
  2. Cook and strain orzo pasta
  3. Mix vinaigrette by combining lemon juice, olive oil, vinegar, red pepper flakes and honey.
  4. Pour vinaigrette over warm pasta. Allow pasta to cool to room temperature
  5. Add cooked asparagus, tomatoes, onions and basil. 
  6. Add salt and pepper to taste
Chopped asparagus on a wooden cutting board.
Cut asparagus in a pot of hot water.
Pouring a dressing over orzo pasta.
Fresh chopped tomatoes along with asparagus in a bowl.

Once this salad is made, I like to cover and chill in the refrigerator. You can eat at room temperature, but I prefer to let the flavors meld together a bit first. 

Orzo pasta with chopped asparagus and cherry tomatoes in a white bowl.

Variations

  • To make this a complete meal, add chopped cooked chicken breasts to the salad.
  • I've added a small amount of honey to balance the acidity from the lemon and vinegar. You can omit if desired.
  • Red pepper flakes are added to provide a bit of spice. If you prefer a milder taste, add half the red pepper flakes called for or omit altogether.
  • Small salad pasta or small shell pasta can be substituted for the orzo 

More delicious salads

  • Three Bean Salad
  • Black Bean and Corn Salad
  • Barley Chicken Salad
  • Thai Pasta Salad
  • Orecchiette Pasta Salad

Do you have extra asparagus? You will want to make this Roasted Asparagus too!

If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop

Be sure to check out all my delicious salad recipes!

  • A bowl filled with Orecchiette Pasta Salad.
    Orecchiette Pasta Salad
  • Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad in a white bowl.
    Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
  • A small green bowl filled with Buttermilk Ranch Dressing surrounded by fresh veggies.
    Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
  • Easy broccoli salad with bacon bits in a white bowl.
    Easy Broccoli Salad
Asparagus Pasta Salad with cherry tomatoes in a white serving bowl.

Asparagus Pasta Salad

Kathy Berget
Orzo pasta with fresh asparagus and tomatoes with a light lemony vinaigrette.
5 from 26 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Saved!
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 10 minutes mins
Total Time 25 minutes mins
Course Salad
Cuisine American
Servings 4 people
Calories 306 kcal

Equipment

  • Measuring Cups
  • Measuring Spoons
Prevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients
 
 

Salad

  • 1 pound asparagus (cut into 1 ½ inch pieces)
  • 1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
  • ½ cup grape tomatoes (quartered)
  • 2 green onions (sliced thinly)
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh basil (sliced into thin strips)
  • salt and pepper

Vinaigrette

  • 4 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 Tablespoons lemon juice (fresh squeezed)
  • 1 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons honey (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Instructions
 

Salad

  • Cook asparagus in boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain and put hot asparagus into a bowl full of ice water to cool.
    1 pound asparagus
  • Cook orzo pasta. Drain pasta and place in a bowl. Allow to cool until warm.
    1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
  • Pour prepared vinaigrette over orzo and stir to combine. Allow orzo to cool until at room temperature.
  • Add blanched asparagus, chopped tomatoes, green onions and sliced basil. Stir gently.
    ½ cup grape tomatoes, 2 green onions, 2 Tablespoons fresh basil
  • Add salt and pepper to taste
  • Cover and refrigerate or serve right away

Vinaigrette

  • Place olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, honey, dijon mustard and red pepper flakes into a bowl. Combine with a whisk until smooth.
    4 Tablespoons olive oil, 2 Tablespoons lemon juice, 1 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar, 2 teaspoons honey, 1 teaspoon dijon mustard, ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, salt and pepper

Notes

Recipe can be doubled to serve a larger crowd.

Variations

  • To make this a complete meal, add chopped cooked chicken breasts to the salad.
  • I've added a small amount of honey to balance the acidity from the lemon and vinegar. You can omit if desired.
  • Red pepper flakes are added to provide a bit of spice. If you prefer a milder taste, add half the red pepper flakes called for or omit altogether.
  • Small salad pasta or small shell pasta can be substituted for the orzo 

Nutritional Disclaimer:

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. To obtain the most precise nutritional information in a provided recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the exact ingredients you are using when preparing the recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.75cupCalories: 306kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 8gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 25mgPotassium: 373mgFiber: 4gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 1199IUVitamin C: 13mgCalcium: 39mgIron: 3mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @BeyondTheChickenCoop or tag #beyondthechickencoop!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Leslie says

    January 30, 2021 at 5:19 pm

    Love, love, love this new salad, and so does husband!
    Will include it at a family dinner (after everyone gets covid shot!) 👍

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      January 31, 2021 at 4:27 am

      Thank you! There's nothing better than finding a recipe everyone loves. I hope you can get everyone together for that family dinner soon!

      Reply
  2. David @ Spiced says

    March 10, 2020 at 4:27 am

    5 stars
    Yes! I love a good orzo pasta salad, and the asparagus and tomatoes in here just scream spring to me. I'm so ready for a recipe like this as a side dish to a good grilled meal! Definitely keeping this one on the short list, Kathy...it sounds delicious!

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      March 10, 2020 at 7:20 pm

      Thanks! And spring is coming!!!

      Reply
  3. Alexandra @ It's Not Complicated Recipes says

    March 07, 2020 at 4:15 pm

    5 stars
    Love these fresh flavours, Kathy! And pasta salads are so delicious!

    Reply
  4. Dawn - Girl Heart Food says

    March 06, 2020 at 6:19 am

    5 stars
    I just love orzo pasta so this salad is right up my alley! Plus, it's giving my all sorts of spring-time vibes, which I'm super happy about (we have more snow coming this weekend). Bring on spring, I say! Pinned and trying this one out soon 🙂 Happy weekend!

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      March 06, 2020 at 6:51 am

      I'm so ready for spring, but sometimes the weather just doesn't cooperate! At least it can be springtime in your kitchen!

      Reply
5 from 26 votes (23 ratings without comment)

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I'm Kathy, and I love to create delicious recipes from scratch utilizing many ingredients that we grow and raise. I'm a recipe creator, food photographer, and cookbook author!

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