Orzo Salad with Tomatoes and Basil

 

 Fresh cherry tomatoes

Description

This light pasta salad is brimming with late summer flavors and makes a great side dish for grilled chicken and fish dishes.

Ingredients

2 cups Orzo
1/2 medium red onion
1 red pepper
6 ounces cherry tomatoes
2 cloves garlic
1/2 ounce basil
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/8 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Details

Prep Time: 20 to 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 6 servings

Instructions

Start by dicing the onion and red pepper into small bite sized pieces and mincing the garlic.  Cut the cherry tomatoes into bite sized pieces and finely mince the basil.
Cook the Orzo in a pot of boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. The Orzo should be cooked all the way through and tender, but not mushy.
While the Orzo is cooking sauté the onion, pepper, and garlic in a small amount of olive oil for two minutes on medium-high heat.  The goal is to take the bite out of the onion and garlic and to start combining the flavors.  After cooking the onion and pepper should still have a good crunch to them.  Set aside to cool.
When the Orzo has finished cooking, pour it into a colander and run cold water over it to stop the cooking process. When the Orzo has been cooled down, drizzle on a small amount of olive oil and stir it in to keep the pasta from sticking together.
Once the onion and peppers have cooled down, combine them with the Orzo in a large bowl. Add in the basil, tomatoes, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and olive oil.  Stir everything together and season to taste.

Notes

This salad can be made a day or two ahead of time and will stay good for a week or so in the refrigerator.

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