The time for summer picnics and cookouts has finally arrived.
Time for hamburgers, hot dogs and all the mayonnaise-laden salads as sides. I love all the traditional sides: macaroni and potato salads, baked beans with bacon and molasses, and, of course, corn on the cob. But my family, not so much.
I often make a lovely Caprese salad for a summer meal: sliced tomatoes (heirlooms are nice), sliced fresh mozzarella cheese, with basil leaves scattered on top. Corn salads are wonderful too, especially if made with corn that is first cooked on the grill.
The last couple of years, I have made a very versatile pasta salad with orzo. I found the recipe in an “All Recipes” cooking magazine, and I find myself pulling it out often.
Orzo is pasta that looks like rice, but is a true pasta made with semolina flour just like your favorite rigatoni. It originated in Italy, but is widely used in other Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines. I have been able to find plain orzo as well as whole wheat and tri-color versions, which, when mixed with other ingredients, really all taste the same.
Ingredients
- 1 16-ounce package orzo (any type)
- 1 10-ounce package fresh spinach (baby spinach is nice)
- ½ pound crumbled feta cheese (best to add when the pasta has cooled slightly)
- ½ red onion, finely chopped
- ¾ cup pine nuts
- ½ tsp dried basil
- ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper
- Vinaigrette dressing to taste (The warm orzo will quickly absorb your dressing. I often add more before serving.)
Directions
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
- Add 16 ounces orzo and cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Drain and rinse with cold water.
- Place in a large bowl and add the remaining ingredients: spinach, red onion, pine nuts, dried or fresh basil, salt and pepper.
- When the mixture has cooled slightly, add the feta cheese.
- Toss with vinaigrette dressing or olive oil and vinegar to taste.
- As the salad cools, keep taking a little taste and add more dressing and/or salt and pepper to your liking.
- If you refrigerate, bring to room temperature before serving.
My pasta salad is so amenable to substituting different ingredients that almost everyone will like it:
- Arugula instead of spinach
- Omit the onion and/or the pine nuts.
- Add a few cups of frozen baby peas.
- Small, diced red pepper adds beautiful color.
- If you don’t like feta cheese, cubes of Muenster or Havarti are a mild and less salty alternative.
- Chopped fresh basil instead of dried
- Vinaigrette dressings work better than creamy ones, but there are lots of different ones to choose from. Plain olive oil and vinegar also work.
This salad can also be converted to a main dish for lunch or dinner by adding some grilled chicken, cut into strips and placed on top. Perfect for a hot summer day.
Orzo in Italian means “barley.” But it’s not barley. It’s pasta and perhaps a new one for you to enjoy.
If you like what we do, please support our work. Become a Friend of TheBurg!
