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.
Why make this recipe
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 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.
Key ingredients
- Orzo pasta
- Fresh asparagus
- Cherry tomatoes
- Fresh Basil
- Lemons
- Green Onions
To Make Salad
- Blanch asparagus by dropping chopped asparagus into a pot of boiling water for 2 minutes. Remove asparagus and plunge into ice cold water.
- Cook and strain orzo pasta
- Mix vinaigrette by coming lemon juice, olive oil, vinegar, red pepper flakes and honey.
- Pour vinaigrette over warm pasta. Allow pasta to cool to room temperature
- Add cooked asparagus, tomatoes, onions and basil.
- Add salt and pepper to taste
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.
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
- Quinoa Peach Salad
- Orzo Pasta Salad
- Orzo Chicken 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!
Asparagus Pasta Salad
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.
- Cook orzo pasta. Drain pasta and place in a bowl. Allow to cool until warm.
- 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.
- 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.
Notes
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
Leslie says
Love, love, love this new salad, and so does husband!
Will include it at a family dinner (after everyone gets covid shot!) 👍
Kathy says
Thank you! There's nothing better than finding a recipe everyone loves. I hope you can get everyone together for that family dinner soon!
David @ Spiced says
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!
Kathy says
Thanks! And spring is coming!!!
Alexandra @ It's Not Complicated Recipes says
Love these fresh flavours, Kathy! And pasta salads are so delicious!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food says
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!
Kathy says
I'm so ready for spring, but sometimes the weather just doesn't cooperate! At least it can be springtime in your kitchen!