This easy Italian orzo pasta salad recipe is full of artichoke hearts, toasted almonds, spinach, almonds, red peppers, red onions, fresh lemon juice, basil, feta cheese, and Parmesan cheese.
Variations on this easy Italian inspired orzo salad recipe are endless. What do you have in your pantry / refrigerator?
Throw in some tomatoes, garbanzo beans, Mozzarella cheese, capers, cucumber, pepperoncinis, salami, green onions, etc...
Don't have almonds? Use another nut or skip it. Don't want to turn the oven on to toast the almonds? Cool - throw them in raw.
Serving Suggestion
Serve this delicious Italian Orzo Salad recipe with a complementary dish like:
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Things In My Kitchen:
- Stackable Fine Mesh Strainers - 3 sizes and the orzo doesn't slip through any of the sizes.
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Easy Italian Orzo Pasta Salad
EatSimpleFood.com
This easy Italian orzo pasta salad recipe is full of artichoke hearts, toasted almonds, spinach, almonds, red peppers, red onions, fresh lemon juice, basil, feta, and Parmesan cheese.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 12 ounces uncooked orzo
- 3 ounces (~ 3 big cups) spinach
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup red onions, finely diced
- 1 medium (~ 1 ½ cups) red pepper, diced
- 1 cup canned artichoke hearts, drained & diced
- ¾ cup sliced almonds, toasted
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt, divided
- 2 tablespoon e.v. olive oil
- ⅓ cup basil, chiffonade - optional for garnish
- 2 cup Feta or Parmesan - optional for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum or parchment. Add almonds in a single layer and cook ~ 5-7 minutes or until very light brown and fragrant. Remove from sheet and set aside to cool.
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add orzo. Boil ~ 8-10 minutes or until desired doneness. Drain and place in a large bowl.
- Toss in the spinach to the drained orzo so that it wilts with the residual heat. Stir occasionally so that the orzo does not stick together as it's cooling.
- Stir into Orzo: onions, red pepper, artichoke, ¼ teaspoon sea salt, black pepper, olive oil, lemon juice, and almonds. Add sea salt to taste.
- Top with sliced basil garnish. You can eat this as is or add Parmesan or crumbled feta cheese or crushed red pepper if you like it spicy. Add sea salt to taste. Dig in! Beckie
Notes
Don't feel like starting the oven tonight? Skip toasting the almonds and throw them in as is.
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