Thursday, July 14, 2011

Vegetable and Feta Orzo Pasta Salad

Original Recipe by Lucia
Adapted recipe by Kitchen Groovy

Kosher Salt
1 lb. orzo
½ C freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
Extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
1 lb. asparagus
1 pkg. grape tomatoes
1 cucumber, seeded and medium diced
¾ lb. feta cheese, crumbled
Parsley, or any other favorite fresh herb!

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place asparagus on baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and kosher salt – roast for 10 minutes.
3. Fill large pot with water, add 1 T salt and bring water to boil.
4. Add the orzo, stirring occasionally to avoid sticking. Simmer for 9-11 minutes. Cook until it’s al dente.
5. Drain and pour into a large bowl. Whisk together the lemon juice, ½ C olive oil, 2 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. pepper. Pour over the hot pasta and stir well.
6. Add asparagus to the pasta, toss in the remaining ingredients, adding the feta last. Set aside at room temp for 1 hour to allow the flavors to blend, or refrigerate overnight. If refrigerated, taste again for seasoning and bring back to room temp before serving.

Note: more salt is needed when serving dishes cold.