Greek Orzo Pasta Salad

Today is the first recipe in my second series - Summer Sides and Starters. For the rest of this month, I will be sharing recipes that are great on a hot summer today. They are light dishes, easy to make, but still full of flavor. First up - my take on a greek pasta salad.

Most greek pasta salads have similar ingredients: red onion, tomato, olives, feta to name a few, but of course I want to make mine a little unique.  I am using orzo as the grain instead of traditional pasta, using capers instead of kalamata olives and infusing lemon flavor three different ways in this dish.

Orzo, Italian for barley,  is a pasta by nature, but looks like a rice. It is a substantial grain and will hold up against anything. You can eat it hot or cold, as the star of the dish or as an accent - try in your favorite soup. I even found 100% whole grain at the store this week, so was excited about that. My tip for using orzo (and any grain) is make sure you have enough water in your pot. The first couple of times I didn’t and the orzo got sticky and it wasn’t a pretty site!

So I love anything pickled and salty - well almost anything, no pigs feet for me. Capers are a relative of the caper berry, both of which grow on the plant Capparis spinosa, known as the caper bush. Caper berries are larger in size and come with a stem, while the caper is a small bite size version. I think they are both delicious, but the mini caper is probably more widely known and available, in addition to being utilized in cooking more often than the berry. You can find me at the pickle bar at Whole Foods stocking up on caper berries just to munch on by themselves.  The flavor is extremely hard to describe, but I would say even if you don’t like the flavor of them alone, don’t write them off yet - they can compliment a dish very nicely. If you don’t typically like salty pickled flavor, just drain and rinse under cold water before adding.

So we talked about infused oils last week and today I am making a lemon garlic infused oil to use as the dressing for this salad. I also add some lemon peel to the pot of orzo to infuse extra flavor during the cooking process and finally some fresh lemon juice to add a final splash of freshness. No bottled lemon juice for this recipe!

Greek Orzo Pasta Salad
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

Orzo, 8 oz (most packages are 16 oz - whole wheat is best)
Lemon, 1
Garlic, 1 clove
Oil: olive oil or extra virgin, ¼ c
Red onion, ½ large onion (chopped equals approximately ¾ c)
Cherry tomatoes, ½ pint (chopped equals approximately 1 c)
Capers, drained, ¼ c
Basil, ½ c chopped
Feta cheese, ¾ c

Better Bonus Tip: Try adding cucumber. I don’t care for it, but that is very traditional ingredient in Greek salads.

Start by making an infused oil. Using your vegetable peeler, remove the outer layer of the lemon into strips. Add four pieces of lemon peel and one clove of garlic to ¼ c oil over medium heat. Set aside the remaining lemon peel strips. Once the oil is at a simmer, reduce heat to medium low and continue simmering for 5 more minutes. Keep an eye on it. The garlic and lemon peels will brown slightly, but don’t let them burn. Once done infusing, set aside to cool.

Better Bonus Tip: It will take the same amount of time no matter the amount of oil. Make extra and use as a starter to a great salad dressing later in the week. 

Make orzo according to package directions. Add four more lemon peels to the water. Make sure to continue to stir, so the pasta doesn't stick together. Drain and let cool slightly once done cooking.

Better Bonus Tip: Always remember to salt your boiling water if you are cooking pasta. Adding citrus peel to the water is a great way to add extra flavor to any grain - try with other pastas or rice.

Chop red onion and cherry tomatoes into bite size pieces. Chiffonade basil into ribbons until you have ½ c. If you forgot how to do that, check out how here.

Mix cooked pasta, red onion, cherry tomatoes, capers, basil, juice of one lemon together. Stir and then add ¼ c lemon garlic infused oil. Last, add ¾ c feta cheese.

Serve this pasta salad at room temperature, warm or cold - you decide. 

Better Bonus Tip: This salad is great at room temperature on a hot summer day. You can still make ahead of time for your cookout or gathering, just remove from the refrigerator, stir and let it come to room temperature before serving.

I hope you will enjoy my version of a Greek Pasta Salad!

~Ashley