Print: Christmas Pasta Salad

The orzo in this salad is reminiscent of pine needles and when dressed in pesto brings a lovely green hue. Perlini mozzarella balls become ornaments, as do cherry tomatoes and ribbons of basil and pepperoni. I do not add salt as I find the pepperoni and pesto to be ample enough. Additional toppings to consider are slivers of red onion, black olives, and diced green bell pepper. I don't like balsamic vinegar, thus the lemon juice.

Prep

15 min

Cook

38 min

Servings

Difficulty

Medium

Ingredients

1 , 16 ounce
0.33 cups pesto , or to taste
2 teaspoons lemon juice , Optional
1 cup cherry tomatoes , halved
4 ounces mozzarella cheese balls or pearls
0.25 cups sliced pepperoni , cut into strips
3 large fresh basil leaves , julienned

Instructions

1 Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook orzo in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until tender yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.
2 Add pesto and lemon juice to the orzo; toss to coat. Mix in tomatoes, mozzarella cheese balls, and pepperoni strips. Refrigerate for 8 hours to overnight.
3 Mix in basil right before serving.

Nutrition per serving

Printed from PantryLink · https://pantrylink.app/recipes/christmas-pasta-salad