Orzo Pasta Salad Lettuce Wraps
This fresh orzo pasta salad gets tossed with a bright lemon and olive oil dressing and is then served in crisp lettuce wraps for a refreshing and healthy burst of light flavors.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups dry orzo
- 1 1/2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
- 1 large cucumber, peeled, halved vertically, and sliced about 1/4 inch thick
- 1/2 large red onion, peeled and thinly sliced or chopped
- 2 cups loosely packed arugula
- 10 fresh basil leaves, finely sliced or chopped
- romaine lettuce leaves well cleaned
- option to add chickpeas, feta, or other herbs, protein like shrimp or chicken
Pasta Salad Dressing
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 tsp table salt
- 1/8 tsp pepper
- 1 large garlic clove, minced or pressed through a garlic presser
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and cook the orzo according to package instructions until just past al-dente. Once it is done, drain it, add it back to the empty pot, and toss it with about 1 tbsp of olive oil so it doesn't stick together.
- While the pasta is cooking, cut and chop up the other ingredients.
- Prepare the dressing by adding the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, garlic, honey, and dijon mustard to a bowl and whisking it well until it is fully combined.
- Add the arugula to the pasta and allow it to wilt slightly by mixing it into the warm pasta. If you don't want it to wilt, simply allow the pasta to cool for longer before adding it.
- Toss in the cucumber, tomatoes, onion, and basil and mix it well with the orzo. Pour all of the dressing over the orzo pasta salad, and mix well. Taste and salt/pepper as needed.
- Scoop the pasta into the prepared lettuce wraps and enjoy! If you decide that lettuce wraps are not for you (they will be a little messy), feel free to chop the lettuce up and add it to the salad! Just make sure the pasta isn't hot when you add it so it doesn't wilt the romaine.
Notes
If you want to make this ahead of time, or save leftovers, I recommend eating it within 24 hours for the best flavor and texture.
Nutrition
Calories: 362kcalCarbohydrates: 49gProtein: 9gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gSodium: 174mgPotassium: 414mgFiber: 3gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 694IUVitamin C: 18mgCalcium: 54mgIron: 2mg
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