Description
Chopped Fall Pasta Salad is a delightful blend of orzo pasta, crisp apples, savory bacon, and toasted pecans, all tossed in a zesty vinaigrette. Perfect for fall gatherings, this salad is both hearty and refreshing.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 ounces DeLallo Orzo Pasta
- 1.5 cups baby arugula
- roughly chopped
- ⅓ cup red onion
- diced small
- 6 tablespoons center cut bacon
- roughly 6 slices chopped small
- ⅓ cup pecans
- toasted and chopped small
- ¾ cup honey crisp apple
- about 1 apple diced small
- ⅓ – ½ cup cheddar cheese
- crumbled
- mild
- DeLallo Medium Cheddar Cheese
- or DeLallo Sharp Cheddar Cheese
- pinch kosher salt
- to season
- few turns cracked black pepper
- to season
- ¼ cup DeLallo Castelvetrano Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon DeLallo Dijon Mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey
- pinch kosher salt
- to taste
Instructions
- Cook the DeLallo Orzo Pasta according to package instructions, then drain and let cool.
- In a skillet, cook the chopped bacon over medium heat until crispy, then remove and drain on paper towels.
- In a large bowl, combine the cooled orzo, arugula, red onion, bacon, toasted pecans, diced honey crisp apple, and cheddar cheese.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, and a pinch of salt to create the vinaigrette.
- Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad mixture and toss gently to combine.
- Season with kosher salt and cracked black pepper to taste, then serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
This salad can be made ahead of time; just add the vinaigrette right before serving to keep ingredients fresh.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Salad, Side Dish, Lunch
- Method: Boiling, Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 445 kcal
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 520 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 17 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 46 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
Keywords: Chopped Fall Pasta Salad, Orzo Salad, Fall Salad, Pasta Salad, Healthy Salad