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Summer isn’t complete without a good pasta salad. This recipe is a favorite of mine and a crowd pleaser, and it has a nice zing to it! Orzo is an Italian pasta that is shaped like a large, oval shaped grain of rice. It’s only ingredient is durum wheat semolina and it provides about 7 g of protein per serving, 2 g fiber and 100 mg potassium. It can be cooked on the stove in about 10 minutes. At the grocery store, Orzo can be found near other pastas. Trader Joe’s carries a 16 oz package of orzo imported from Italy for $0.99.
Ingredients
4 oz cooked orzo pasta
1 red bell pepper diced
1/4 onion sliced
1/2 cup pepperoncini sliced
1 small cucumber diced
3/4 cup grape tomatoes halved
10 black olives sliced
10 green olives sliced
handful of fresh basil chopped
feta cheese (optional)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic minced
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 tsp oregeno
sea salt & black pepper
Method
- Cook pasta & chop vegetables while pasta is cooking.
- Add bell pepper, onion, pepperoncini, cucumber, grape tomatoes, olives, basil & feta cheese to pasta & mix ingredients together.
- In a separate bowl, combine olive oil, dijon mustard, white wine vinegar, garlic, oregeno, sea salt & pepper & mix together.
- Drizzle the dressing over the pasta, stir well & enjoy!
To make gluten free, use a gluten free pasta or skip the pasta altogether.
This dish refrigerates well and is good for about 3 days. Option to add parsley, Kalamata olives, garbanzo beans, or avocado just before serving. You can also skip the white wine vinegar or mustard. Get creative with the seasonings. Serve cold or warm.