Orzo pasta, tender crisp asparagus, salty feta, crunchy pistachios and loads of fresh herbs tossed in a lemony shallot vinaigrette. This simple, fresh pasta salad is perfect side dish for Spring.

Orzo asparagus salad in a white bowl with a green napkin, herbs and squeezed lemon half in the background. — This green pasta salad is the perfect side dish for Spring.

I love when fresh asparagus is in peak season, not only is it delicious, but it means that warmer days are coming! Full of flavor and texture, this gorgeously green pasta salad makes a great Spring-y side dish for Easter, a dinner party, pot luck, luncheon or really any night of the week.

Pair this dish with some simple grilled or pan seared salmon, a roast chicken or this Garlic Herb Crusted Roast Beef for a perfect meal.

Why you will love this recipe

It's full of fresh, healthy ingredients.
This salad is meant to be enjoyed at room temperature, making it an easy side dish for company or to take to a party.
It holds up well in the refrigerator for a few days and can be made ahead of time. The leftovers make a great light lunch.
It's easy to make and absolutely DELICIOUS!

Recipe ingredients laid out on a table in small bowls. — This dish is easy to make and full of fresh ingredients.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Orzo - a thin, oval shaped, small cut pasta that kind of looks like rice. In Italy, this little pasta (or pastina) is also known as "risi", which means rice, or "rosini" which means barley in Italian.
Fresh asparagus - the best asparagus is firm to the touch, stands up straight and has closed, compact tops. It should be a rich green color with some fading to white at the bottom of the stalks. For this recipe, I suggest going with asparagus on the thinner side as it will only be cooked for a few minutes to make it just tender crisp.
Feta cheese - salty, crumbled feta adds tons of flavor and a bit of creaminess. You could also substitute goat cheese or try it with shaved parmesan or small pearls of fresh mozzarella.
Pistachios - add a wonderfully crunchy texture. Sliced almonds or toasted pine nuts will also work.
Fresh herbs - these are a must! A mix of fresh basil, mint and dill are my favorite in this recipe. Fresh parsley also works.
Lemon - fresh lemon juice and zest really makes the vinaigrette pop.
Shallot - adds a mild, sweet oniony flavor to the lemony dressing.
Olive oil - use a good olive oil. It makes all the difference when making your own vinaigrette. The Furies is my favorite.
Dijon mustard - just a bit helps emulsify the dressing.
Red wine vinegar - a touch of vinegar balances out the lemon juice. You can also use white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
Honey - optional, but just a smidge adds a touch of sweetness to balance out the tartness of the lemon in the vinaigrette.
Salt and pepper

Close up of asparagus orzo salad in a white bowl. — This salad is full of flavor and texture.

Method

Start by bringing a pot of well salted water to boil. Finely mince the shallot and add to a small mason jar or container with a tight fitting lid. Zest the lemon and set the lemon zest aside. Add lemon juice, mustard, olive oil, red wine vinegar salt and pepper to the shallots and shake vigorously to combine and emulsify the dressing. You can also do this in a bowl with a whisk, I just think it's easier to shake and pour from a jar.

Small mason jar of vinaigrette on a wood cutting board with squeezed lemons, bowl of lemon zest and grater. — Make the vinaigrette first so the flavors have time to meld.

Snap off the woody ends of the asparagus and chop into once inch pieces.

Add the orzo to the boiling water and cook according to package directions. When the orzo is 2 minutes from being done, add the chopped asparagus to the orzo in the boiling water and cook for the remaining cook time for the pasta. The asparagus should be bright green and tender crisp. Drain orzo and asparagus and add to a large prep bowl.

Step by step process of chopping asparagus, boiling with orzo and tossing with rest of ingredients. — The asparagus cooks quickly in the pasta pot with the orzo.

While the orzo and asparagus are cooling, chop the fresh herbs and pistachios. Add herbs, feta, chopped pistachios and reserved lemon zest to the room temperature asparagus and orzo, pour over about half of the vinaigrette and gently toss with a wooden spoon to combine. Taste and add more dressing, season with salt and pepper and additional lemon juice to taste.

If you are making this ahead of time, the pasta will absorb dressing as it sits. Be sure to reserve some dressing and toss with the extra lemon vinaigrette just before serving.

Asparagus orzo salad in a white bowl with a gold spoonful of shallot vinaigrette. — Toss and add more dressing as needed before serving.

Recipe tips

Monitor the time on the pasta closely, tasting it as it cooks to check for doneness. You want to add the asparagus in just about two minutes before the pasta will be al dente. This is the trick to the recipe. To make it a little less stressful, you can absolutely cook the pasta separately and lightly sauté the asparagus in olive oil in a separate skillet if that works better for you.
Wait until the orzo and asparagus are cooled down to add the rest of the ingredients. You don't want hot orzo to wilt the herbs and melt the feta.
Orzo asparagus salad can be made up to a day ahead of time. Reserve a little dressing to toss in right before serving. The pasta will absorb dressing as it sits, especially if you make it ahead of time.
Leftovers will keep well in the fridge in an airtight container for 2-3 days. If it seems a little dry, give it a gentle toss and add any leftover dressing or a little olive oil and lemon juice.