Pasta Salad, Orzo Style

I’m usually not a huge fan of pasta salad. It often can be gloppy and soggy, the result of too much dressing. But when the pasta is orzo, I’ll happily take part.

A small, rice-shaped pasta, orzo makes an excellent salad because you don’t need a heavy dressing. What’s more, orzo lends itself to a variety of extras, such as olives, feta cheese and red onions.

This salad is light and crisp yet very flavorful. Perfect for a warm summer afternoon. Serve it with pita bread.

Summer Orzo Salad

Active Work and Total Preparation Time: 25 minutes * Vegetarian

2 cups vegetable broth

2 cups water

1 cup orzo

2 tomatoes, chopped

1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped

1/2 cup sliced Kalamata olives

1/2 cup chopped red onion

3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

Salt, pepper

* Combine vegetable broth and water in a medium saucepan and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Add orzo, stir and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain orzo and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

* While orzo is cooking, combine tomatoes, cucumber, olives, onion, feta, thyme, oil and vinegar in large serving bowl. Add orzo and mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

4 servings. Each serving: 384 calories; 1,193 mg sodium; 19 mg cholesterol; 28 grams fat; 28 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams protein; 1.07 gram fiber.

MENU

Summer Orzo Salad

Pita Bread

INGREDIENTS

Staples

Vegetable broth

Olive oil

Red onion

Red wine vinegar

Shopping List

Cucumber

Feta cheese

Kalamata olives

Orzo

Pita bread

Fresh thyme

Tomatoes

GAME TOWN:

25 minutes before: Bring water and vegetable broth to boil. Chop tomatoes, cucumber, red onion and thyme.

10 minutes before: Add orzo to broth mixture.

Just before serving: Combine vegetables and cooked orzo.

*

Tablecloth from Lavender Blue, Los Angeles.