Summer is the ideal time to enjoy light, fresh and flavorful dishes. This Orzo with Pesto Grilled Shrimp salad perfectly fits the bill. The dish is vibrant, healthy and packed with a variety of textures and tastes. Even though there are multiple steps to this orzo pasta salad recipe, the result is worth the effort.
Additionally, grilling the shrimp and vegetables adds a smoky, charred flavor that enhances the freshness and complexity of this Shrimp Orzo Pasta Salad.
Why You Should Make This Orzo Pasta Salad
- Fresh and Flavorful: Packed with fresh vegetables, basil, and a tangy pesto dressing.
- Colorful Presentation: A visually appealing dish with bright bell peppers, zucchini, squash and cherry tomatoes.
- Nutritious: A balanced meal with protein from shrimp, vitamins from vegetables and carbs from orzo.
- Versatile: Perfect as a main dish or a side salad.
- Easy to Serve: Can be enjoyed at room temperature or slightly chilled, making it great for outdoor events.
Ingredients
- Orzo Pasta: Easily substitute with a smaller shaped pasta like ditalini or couscous.
- Shrimp: Use large shrimp (16-20 or 21-30), if possible. Grilled pesto chicken would be a great alternative to the grilled shrimp.
- Pesto: Feel free to use jarred pesto, or make your own.
- Bell Peppers: Substitute with any color of bell pepper, or use roasted red peppers from a jar.
- Cherry Tomatoes: Substitute with grape tomatoes or diced regular tomatoes.
- Asparagus: Substitute with green beans or broccoli.
- Mozzarella Pearls: Substitute with cubed fresh mozzarella
- Fresh Basil: Substitute with fresh parsley or spinach.
How to Prepare Orzo with Pesto Grilled Shrimp
As mentioned earlier, there are a number of steps to this summer pasta salad recipe. Here is an easy breakdown of the instructions:
Prep the Shrimp and Vegetables
- Marinate the shrimp.
- Cut the bell peppers, zucchini and yellow squash. Toss in a large bowl with olive oil and red wine vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.
- In a smaller bowl, toss the cherry tomatoes and asparagus olive oil and red wine vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Add to a grill pan to ensure they do not fall between the grates while grilling.
- Place the marinated shrimp onto metal, or water-soaked wooden skewers.
Grill the Vegetables and Shrimp
- Heat the grill.
- Place the tomatoes and asparagus onto the grill.
- Add the remaining vegetables directly onto the grill grates. Grill the vegetables until slightly tender with grill marks, but not mushy.
- Transfer all the vegetables to a platter.
- Grill the shrimp for about 2 minutes per side, or until pink and fully-cooked.
- Add the shrimp to the platter with the vegetables.
Finish the Orzo with Pesto Shrimp Salad
- Start cooking the orzo, according to package instructions.
- While the orzo is cooking, dice the grilled zucchini, squash and bell peppers into uniform pieces.
- Cut the shrimp into 2-3 pieces each.
- Combine all of the ingredients for the pesto dressing into a jar or small bowl.
- While the pasta is still warm, add it to a bowl and mix it with about a tablespoon of the pesto dressing.
- Let it cool slightly, then add the diced vegetables, tomatoes, asparagus, shrimp, mozzarella and fresh basil.
- Add the dressing.
- Garnish with fresh basil.
How to Serve and Store Orzo with Grilled Shrimp
Serving:
- The orzo salad is best served at room temperature, making it ideal for summer gatherings and picnics.
- Can also be enjoyed warm, if preferred.
- Pair with grilled chicken for a protein boost.
- Serve alongside baked or grilled salmon for a complete meal.
- Enjoy with crusty bread or garlic bread for a satisfying side.
Storing:
- Store any leftovers of this Orzo with Pesto Grilled Shrimp in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- If making ahead, store the pesto dressing separately. Toss it with the orzo salad just before serving.
More Pesto Recipes to Love
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Orzo with Pesto Grilled Shrimp
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 10 servings 1x
Description
Summer is the ideal time to enjoy light, fresh and flavorful dishes. This Orzo with Pesto Grilled Shrimp salad perfectly fits the bill. The dish is vibrant, healthy and packed with a variety of textures and tastes.
Ingredients
- 16-ounces orzo pasta
- 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 orange bell pepper
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- 1 zucchini
- 1 yellow squash
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 bundle asparagus
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella pearls
- 6–8 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade, plus more for garnish
For the Shrimp Marinade:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons basil pesto
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
For the Pesto Dressing:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 tablespoons basil pesto
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the shrimp marinade.
- Toss in the shrimp and refrigerate.
- Cut the bell peppers into 4 pieces each. Cut the zucchini and yellow squash into 1″ rounds. Cut the asparagus into 1″ pieces.
- In a large bowl, toss the bell peppers, zucchini and squash with 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.
- In a smaller bowl, toss the cherry tomatoes and asparagus with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil and 1/2 tablespoon red wine vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.
- Remove the shrimp from the fridge and place onto metal, or water-soaked wooden skewers.
- Heat the grill.
- Place the tomatoes and asparagus in a grill-safe pan to prevent them from falling through the grates. Place on the grill.
- Add the remaining vegetables directly onto the grill grates. Grill the vegetables until slightly tender with grill marks, but not mushy.
- Transfer all the vegetables to a platter.
- Grill the shrimp for about 2 minutes per side, or until pink and fully-cooked.
- Add the shrimp to the platter with the vegetables.
- Start cooking the orzo according to package instructions.
- While the orzo is cooking, dice the grilled zucchini, squash and bell peppers into uniform pieces.
- Depending on the size, cut the shrimp into 2-3 pieces each.
- Combine all of the ingredients for the pesto dressing into a jar or small bowl.
- While the pasta is still warm, add it to a bowl and mix it with about a tablespoon of the pesto dressing.
- Let it cool slightly, then add the diced vegetables, tomatoes, asparagus, shrimp, mozzarella and fresh basil.
- Pour in half of the pesto dressing and toss well. Taste.
- Add more dressing, as needed.
- Garnish with additional fresh basil.
- Serve and ENJOY!
Notes
- Substitute the orzo with any small pasta shape.
- Any size shrimp will work. However, small shrimp may have the tendency to overcook.
- Marinate the shrimp for just about 5-10 minutes.
- Cut the vegetables prior to grilling into large enough pieces to ensure they do not fall in between the grill grates.
- Use a grill-safe pan for smaller vegetables like cherry tomatoes and asparagus to prevent them from falling through the grates.
- Grill vegetables until they are just slightly tender with grill marks. Avoid overcooking to maintain their crunch and color.
- For ease, place the shrimp onto skewers to grill. If using wooden skewers, be sure to soak in water prior to use.
- Spoon any extra marinade onto the shrimp while grilling.
- Mix the orzo with a bit of dressing while it’s still warm to help it absorb the flavors better.
- Use fresh mozzarella pearls for the best texture and flavor.
- Add fresh basil just before serving to keep its vibrant flavor and color.
- Gradually add the dressing and adjust to taste, ensuring the salad is well-coated but not overly dressed.
- Mix up additional dressing, if needed.
- Prepare the components ahead of time and assemble just before serving for convenience.
- If serving at room temperature (which is best), allow the salad to sit for a bit after assembling to let the flavors meld together.
- For leftovers the next day, remove from the fridge for at least 15 minutes, prior to serving. Add a touch more olive oil and/or pesto, as needed.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Salad, Pasta, Side Dish
- Method: Moderate
- Cuisine: American
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WELCOME! My name is Melissa Latin aka. Charlotte Fashion Plate. Happy to meet you! I am more than just recipes. I love fashion and style too! Most importantly, I love my Family (my Hubby and my Fur Babies). My Husband (aka my “Kitchen Bitch”) means the world to me. He’s pretty damn cool too. Not only is he one of the nicest guys you will ever meet, he also has had a lengthy career in professional hockey. Not only winning two Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins in the early ’90’s, but most recently winning the Calder Cup with the Charlotte Checkers, amongst many other accolades. If you live in Charlotte and play hockey, or have a family member who plays, be sure to contact him!
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3 Comments
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[…] Shrimp or chicken would be great additions. Adding shrimp kind of reminds me of my recipe for Orzo with Pesto Grilled Shrimp. If you have not tried this recipe yet, you need to! It’s a great way to enjoy the final days […]