Simple delicious pasta salad bursting with lemon, pulled chicken and fresh crunchy vegetable.
Prep Time30 minutesmins
Cook Time15 minutesmins
Total Time45 minutesmins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Chicken, Lemon, orzo, Pasta Salad, Spring
Servings: 4
Ingredients
2tablespoonsplus 1 1/2 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil, divided
1cuporzo cooked according to package directionsdrained (orzo is a small, rice-sized pasta)
8ouncescooked & cooled boneless skinless chicken breast
3tablespoonschopped raw pepitasI used roasted salted pepitas- FYI - pepitas are shelled pumpkin seeds
1tablespoonfinely minced Italian parsley
freshly grated lemon zest from 1 lemon2-3 teaspoons
1 1/2teaspoonfinely minced rosemary
1thinly sliced green onion
1/2cupjulienned carrotsabout 2-3 inches long (I used baby carrots)
2cupsbroccoli florets
3/4cuphalved cherry tomatoesred or yellow
1thinly sliced large radish
3tablespoonsfreshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 - 1/2teaspoonsalt
1/4teaspoonfreshly ground black pepper
Instructions
In a medium mixing bowl, drizzle 1 1/2 teaspoons of olive oil over cooked orzo and toss to coat. Chill in the refrigerator, covered, until cold.
Blanch broccoli florets by placing them into a pot of boiling water for 1 minute then draining them and placing immediately in an ice bath (aka a bowl of cold water and ice cubes.) After they've cooled, drain them and gently squeeze out excess water.
Chop chicken and add it along with the pepitas, herbs, lemon zest, veggies and green onions to the orzo and toss to combine. Drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. If you used salted pepitas, you may want to start with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and add up to 1/4 teaspoon more, if preferred. Toss the salad and serve immediately or store covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.