Rainbow Orzo Salad with Pesto

This Rainbow Orzo Salad with Pesto is ready in 25 minutes and made with creamy orzo pasta, fresh fruit and vegetables, pesto sauce, and parmesan cheese. Enjoy this healthy side dish on hot summer nights with your favorite protein!

Course Lunch, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Diet Kosher, Vegetarian

Prep Time 25

Total Time 25

Servings servings

Calories 283kcal

Author Alana Lieberman

Cost $15

Equipment

Mixing bowl

Ingredients

1 cup dry orzo (8 ounces)
1 cup corn kernels (cut from about 2 ears of corn)
¾ cup diced red bell pepper
¾ cup sliced carrots (about 3 carrots)
¾ cup sliced mini cucumbers (about 2 mini cucumbers)
½ cup fresh blueberries
¼ to ½ cup finely diced red onion to taste
¾ to 1 cup fresh pesto to taste
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (from about ½ a lemon) to taste
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Cook orzo according to package instructions. In the last 5 minutes of cook time, add the corn kernels to the boiling water with the orzo. When the 5 minutes is up, drain and rinse with cold water.
Add orzo and corn mixture to a large mixing bowl. Stir in red bell peppers, carrots, cucumbers, blueberries, and red onion.
Add ¾ cup pesto and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Mix to evenly coat the salad. Taste and add more red onion, pesto, lemon juice, salt, and pepper, depending on taste preference.
Scoop onto a large serving platter and garnish with toasted pine nuts and parmesan cheese over top.

Notes

I love using fresh corn, especially in the summer when it's in season and extra sweet. However, if you don't have fresh corn on hand, you can use canned corn instead - no need to boil it with the orzo.
If using store-bought pesto, shop for fresh pesto in the refrigerated section. It usually tastes better and has less preservatives than shelf-stable pesto.
Serve this pasta salad cold or room temperature.

Nutrition