Toast the walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and lightly golden—this releases their natural oils and deepens their flavor. While the walnuts toast, finely mince the garlic cloves, zest the lemon, juice it, and slice the scallions into thin rounds. Measure out all remaining ingredients so everything is ready to go when you need it.

Place the packed basil in a food processor and blend on high speed for about 30 seconds until finely chopped. Add the toasted walnuts from Step 1, minced garlic, parmesan, salt, lemon zest, and lemon juice, then blend until well combined. With the food processor running, slowly drizzle in the 1/2 cup olive oil in a thin stream while blending until you reach a smooth, creamy consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed—this fresh pesto will be the flavor foundation of the salad.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the orzo according to package directions until al dente—I use Delallo No. 65 for the best texture. Drain the pasta thoroughly in a colander, then rinse it with cold water to stop the cooking process and prevent clumping. Transfer the cooled orzo to a large mixing bowl and drizzle with the 1/2 cup of olive oil, stirring gently to coat evenly and prevent sticking.

Pour the fresh basil pesto from Step 2 over the cooled orzo from Step 3 and fold gently to combine, ensuring the pesto coats all the pasta evenly. Add the kalamata olives, sun-dried tomatoes, crumbled feta, sliced scallions from Step 1, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Toss everything together gently but thoroughly, being careful not to break up the delicate feta chunks too much. I like to add the spinach last so it stays slightly wilted but still vibrant—fold it in gently just before serving, and the warm pasta will slightly soften it without cooking it down completely.