I have to admit, I am pretty obsessed with pasta salad!
Today I am sharing with you my orzo pasta salad with roasted chickpeas. I feel like my obsession with pasta salad started when I was a child. I always looked forward to gatherings where my grandma would make her delicious and creamy pasta salad. Then my obsession really transformed during my dietetic internship. Pasta salads were one of my go-to meals that I would take with me to lunch almost every day.
The versatility of pasta salads allows for several combinations of flavors and ingredients. The base of any pasta salad is obviously the pasta itself. Some of my favorite shapes include penne, orzo, bow tie, elbow, rotini, and fusilli. For extra fiber, you can choose whole grain varieties or even chickpea pasta from the brand Banza.
After a base has been chosen it’s time to decide on add-ins. I usually like to load my pasta salads up with a few vegetables and beans. Sometimes I will add in chicken or shrimp but to make the cooking process quicker I usually will just add in a can or so of beans.
Finally depending on my add-ins or if I am craving a certain flavor I come up with a dressing. The dressing usually ties everything together. For this recipe, I just went with a simple oil and vinegar dressing. Below is the recipe for my easy orzo pasta salad with roasted chickpeas. Enjoy!
Orzo Pasta Salad with Roasted Chickpeas
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
Description
This orzo pasta salad with roasted chickpeas makes the perfect side dish or a main dish. It is vegetarian friendly and makes great meal option for leftovers for lunch.
Ingredients
Roasted Chickpeas:
- 2 cans of garbanzo beans/chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/4 tsp Pepper
Pasta Salad:
- 16 oz orzo pasta, cooked according to package
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- 4 cups spinach, roughly chopped
- 5–6 fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
- 4 oz fresh mozzarella, cubed
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Instructions
- For the roasted chickpeas: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.;In a medium bowl add the garbanzo beans, olive oil, Italian seasoning, and pepper. Toss the ingredients together and spread out onto the baking sheet. Bake the chickpeas in the oven for 20-25 minutes, flipping half way through.
- For the orzo pasta salad: As soon as the orzo is done cooking, drain the water and add to a large serving bowl. While the orzo is still hot add the spinach and basil to the bowl and toss. This will help wilt the leaves a bit. Add the mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, and roasted chickpeas to the bowl and stir.
- In a small bowl add the lemon juice, olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, & pepper. Whisk the ingredients together and pour over the pasta salad. Give the mixture one final stir to combine all of the ingredients together. Serve immediately or store in an air tight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Side Dish, Lunch
If you try this recipe let me know in the comments section below!
Here are some other easy dinner recipes you should try:
Also, don’t forget to save this recipe to your Pinterest board!
0 Comments