Orzo Pasta Salad
This Mediterranean-style toasted Orzo Pasta recipe with artichokes, peppers, parmesan and tomato pesto dressing can be prepared in few minutes! Quick and easy vegetarian meal for gatherings.
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
Pasta and Veggies
- 1 Cup Orzo toasted and boiled
- 1 red pepper/yellow pepper chopped and roasted
- 1/2 cup onions chopped and roasted
- 1/2 cup marinated roasted artichokes
- 1/4 cup marinated olives
- 2 tbsp capers
- 1/2 cup fresh fennel bulb (white part) chopped and roasted
Dressing
- 2-3 tbsp sundried -tomato pesto
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp honey or agave
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp red chili flakes
- Salt to taste
- 1/4 tsp Black pepper
- some parmesan cheese, mozzarella or pecorino, ricotta salata etc.
- 1/4 cup pistachios or any other nuts
- 2 tbsp chopped basil, fennel fronds, parsley etc.
Instructions
Dressing
- Take all the ingredients of dressing and stir it all together until emulsified and mixed well. Leave it aside until read to dress. You can prepare this a day or two in advance and store in the fridge.
Orzo and veggies
- In a pot or pan, heat 1 tbsp oil. Once the oil is warm enough, sauté red bell pepper and onions, fennel quickly keeping the crunchy texture. Just cook them slightly. Remove them.
- In the same pot or pan, add Orzo and toast it for few seconds. Once the Orzo is toasted add about enough water and salt in it and bring it to a boil. Once it comes to full boil, decrease the heat and let it cook preferably covered with a lid until all the water is evaporated, and Orzo is cooked. If you need to add more water, then please do. Once its cooked, drain the Orzo immediately from overcooking. It takes 7-8 minutes approximately to cook Orzo.
- Transfer the Orzo to a mixing bowl and add the roasted veggies, mozzarella balls and toss the pesto dressing and add pistachios.
- Garnish with some chopped herbs of your choice like basil, fennel fronds or pasrsley and dd some grated cheese and add more nuts if you wish.
- Serve it at room temperature.
Notes
- You can cook Orzo and keep it in the fridge in advance. You can also make dressing and keep it in the fridge in advance.
- The leftovers store very well for 2-3 days in an air-tight container.
- Make sure to add less salt, as sun-dried pesto and other ingredients contains salt. Be careful to not make it salty.
- You can use less or more pesto to your liking.