This pasta salad is all about green vegetables and herbs like peppery watercress, fragrant dill, raw asparagus and sugar snap peas. Reserving a bit of the dressing to toss with the salad right before serving, refreshes and revives some of the bright flavors that have already been soaked into the orzo.
Make the dressing: Combine the watercress, parsley, dill, tarragon, chives, capers, lemon zest garlic, shallot and sugar in a blender or food processor.
Add the lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, mayonnaise and sour cream and puree until pale green and very smooth. Season with salt and pepper as needed.
Make the salad: Combine the orzo, peas, artichoke hearts, asparagus and snap peas in a bowl; toss with 1 cup of the dressing. Season with pepper. Refrigerate to let the orzo absorb some of the dressing, 20 to 30 minutes. Toss with more dressing as needed, about 2 tablespoons at a time, then toss with the dill; store any remaining dressing, covered, in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. Season with salt and pepper.
Tools You May Need
Photograph by Mike Garten
Tools You May Need
Price and stock may change after publish date, and we may make money off
these links.
By entering your email address, you agree to our Terms of Use
and acknowledge the Privacy Policy.
Food Network and
its affiliates
may use your email address to provide updates, ads, and offers.
To withdraw your consent or learn more about your rights, see the
Privacy Policy.