ORZO LEMON SALAD

A summery orzo lemon salad is the perfect addition to your next BBQ. I serve this lovely pasta salad cold and it’s just as good fresh as it is a few hours or a day or two after preparation. This summer salad recipe features cooled al dente orzo with raw zucchini, yellow squash, red onion, chopped spinach, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, black pepper, and a few dollops of ricotta.

I had never really thought about a raw zucchini dish before. The other day I saw Kelly LeVeque’s raw squash and asparagus salad on instagram. I knew I had to try it! What really convinced me? She mentioned how much her kids hate squishy cooked zucchini. She said that serving it raw was the key to them loving it! So of course I had to give it a go.

This light and simple orzo with lemon keeps well in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. Making it perfect for meal prep or entertaining! Another one of my favorite pasta salads for hot summer days is this VEGAN ITALIAN PASTA SALAD. Oh! We also love this AVOCADO POTATO SALAD for BBQs.

I used zucchini balls here. That’s because I had carved out my zucchini for this ZUCCHINI PIZZA BOATS recipe with a melon baller and they were leftover. I thought they were a really aesthetically pleasing so left them in these round chunks. Chopped zucchini is just perfect in this orzo lemon salad too. You could also just use one type of squash. Either the yellow squash or green zucchini, rather than one of each.

I’m currently trying to grow zucchini in my garden. It’s season is June thru August. I’ve had a bit of a late start since all of my seedlings died while we were out of town over Memorial Day. I’ve replanted new seedlings and hoping they sprout in time. Let’s hope my plants are fruitful and we’ll have a lot more healthy zucchini recipes to come!

Yield: 6

ORZO LEMON SALAD

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A summery orzo lemon salad with spinach, raw zucchini, and ricotta is the perfect refreshing side for a hot sunshiny day.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 c orzo pasta, prepared al dente
• 1/2 c fresh spinach, chopped
• 1/4 red onion, diced
• 1 yellow squash, quartered and sliced into one-inch pieces
• 2 zucchini, quartered and sliced into one-inch pieces
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 c olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/3 c ricotta cheese

Instructions

1. In a large serving bowl, pour cooled orzo. Add chopped spinach, diced red onion, and sliced zucchini. Toss to combine.
2. Pour lemon juice of one lemon over the salad. (You may squeeze the lemon, but you'll have to pick out seeds). Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle in salt and black pepper. Toss to combine.
3. Dollop ricotta in spoonfuls sporadically throughout the salad and toss to combine. Enjoy!

Notes

This salad is also delicious with a dollop of pesto! Keeps well in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 1-2 days.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 256Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 407mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 2gSugar: 3gProtein: 5g

Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate.