Spring Orzo Pasta Salad (Gluten-Free, Vegan)

This light and healthy Spring Orzo Pasta Salad is gluten-free, vegan, and allergy-free. Simple and easy with just a few ingredients like sweet peas, fresh lemon, parsley, and green onion! A delicious and quick side dish recipe to pair with a weeknight dinner or meal prepped for a packable cold lunch!

Pasta salads aren't only for summer! The spring season has a plethora of beautiful produce that's just perfect for a gluten-free pasta salad! Gluten-free orzo, sweet green peas, vibrant lemon, fresh scallions, and herbs all tossed with a lemony vinaigrette! Make it for your first warm-weather cookout, a busy weeknight dinner, or add a protein and pack it for lunch! Just 7 ingredients and so much flavor, this lemony spring pasta salad is going to be a staple all season long!

Why You'll Love This Spring Pasta Salad

There's nothing not to love about a 7-ingredient, fresh and easy pasta salad! Bright and zesty lemon, fresh green herbs, and sweet peas, mixed with flavorful extra virgin olive oil and bite-sized gluten-free orzo! You'll be keeping this spring pasta salad ready to go in the fridge for lunch, dinner, and every meal opportunity in between! This recipe is 100%:

• Gluten-Free
• Vegan & Vegetarian
• Allergy-free (Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Egg-Free, Nut-Free, Peanut-Free, Wheat-Free, Sesame-Free, Corn-Free, Coconut-Free)
• Optionally Grain-Free (with grain-free orzo)
• Sugar-Free
• Kid-Friendly
• Make-Ahead & Meal Prep Essential
• Simple Side Dish, Lunch, or Light Dinner
• Great For Potlucks and Cookouts

Ingredients For Spring Pasta Salad

• Gluten-Free Orzo: I used Delallo's gluten-free orzo pasta. If you want a grain-free orzo, Jovial makes a great cassava-based orzo, and you can find a few other recommendations in this orzo pasta salad recipe post!
• Green Peas: You can use fresh or frozen sweet green peas. I used thawed frozen peas since you'll be adding them to the hot "just-cooked" orzo. If using fresh, you'll need to give them a quick blanch in boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes before transferring them to ice water.
• Lemon: Two in one! You'll need the zest of 1 lemon as well as the juice of 1 lemon (¼ cup). I threw an extra lemon in here for some lemon slices to garnish the top of the salad.
• Scallions: Scallions, green onion, whatever you call it, just the green parts will be used to add some light oniony flavor and bright green color to the salad.
• Fresh Parsley: I love that fresh, herby taste of flat-leaf parsley! I could eat it by the handful, so feel free to add more or less to your salad. You can also add some fresh basil or dill!
• Garlic + Black Pepper + Salt: Minced garlic, lots of freshly cracked black pepper, and salt to taste! These are the only "spices" you'll be adding to the vinaigrette, so adjust them to your preference. I love adding extra black pepper to the top before serving!
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Robust and flavorful EVOO! Make sure to use a high-quality extra virgin olive oil for optimal dressing taste.

Ingredient

How To Make A Gluten-Free Spring Pasta Salad

1. While your gluten-free orzo is boiling on the stove, mix together the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper in a small bowl until combined.
2. Once the orzo is cooked al dente, drain and rinse it under cold water to stop the cooking process before adding it to a large serving bowl along with the parsley, scallions, and thawed green peas.

3. Pour in the lemon dressing and toss everything together so pasta and veggies are coated in the dressing.
4. Chill the pasta salad in the fridge until ready to serve (about 1-2 hours for optimal flavor). Garnish with fresh lemon slices and more cracked black pepper, if desired, before serving.

Recipe Tips & Tricks

• If you're in a rush, you can serve this spring pasta salad warm, but for optimal flavor, allowing the cold salad to chill in the fridge for a minimum of 1-2 hours, as intended, is best, giving the flavors time to develop.
• DO NOT overcook the pasta! You don't want gluten-free mush. It's best to follow the package instructions for a dente cooking time. Rinsing the pasta until cold water helps halt further cooking after draining it as well.
• If you don't have gluten-free orzo, you can use another small pasta (similar in size to the peas), like ditalini, stelline, or small shells. (Pro tip: You always want your pasta to be similar in size to the veggies in your pasta salads.
• Add more veggies: Other great spring veggies you can include would be cut asparagus, canned artichoke hearts, or cut green beans.
• Add protein: For some plant-based protein, you can add a can of chickpeas or lima beans!

How To Store Leftovers

You can meal prep to make ahead or store leftovers in a covered container in the fridge for 5-6 days. Always toss the pasta salad before serving to loosen it up with the dressing that has sunk to the bottom of the bowl. If needed, add an extra splash of olive oil or lemon juice to get things moving. The pasta will absorb the liquid as it sits in the fridge, so it may get mushy the longer you have it stored. Allowing the pasta salad to sit at room temperature for a few minutes is ideal for the most pronounced flavors after being chilled.

Pasta salad is not meant to be frozen. The texture of the pasta will degrade and get mushy once thawed (especially gluten-free pasta).

What To Serve With Spring Pasta Salad

This gluten-free orzo pasta salad is great as a packed lunch and eaten cold, but you can also serve it as a light dinner on its own or with added protein like chickpeas or grilled chicken for a non-vegan option! It also goes great as a side dish to dishes like green goddess chicken, grilled portobello mushroom steaks, lemon pepper tilapia, air fryer falafel, vegan BLTs, or green goddess wraps.

More Gluten-Free Pasta Salads:

• Classic Italian Pasta Salad
• Orzo Pasta Salad
• Greek Pasta Salad
• Asian Pasta Salad
• Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
• Mexican Pasta Salad
• Vegan BLT Pasta Salad

Print

So fresh, so easy, so simple! Recipes that highlight just a few ingredients in all their delicious glory are the best! This gluten-free spring pasta salad will be a hit with everyone!

So tell me:

+ Do you eat pasta salad year-round?

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