Pesto Orzo And Summer Vegetable Pasta Salad Recipes

ORZO PESTO SALAD WITH TOMATOES & FRESH MOZZARELLA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the orzo according to package directions. When the pasta is cooked, drain it in a colander. Rinse the orzo with cool water and drain twice more.
• Place the drained, cooled orzo in a large bowl. Stir in the pesto. Depending on how thick you pesto is, you may need to add some olive oil to loosen up the pasta. Drizzle olive oil in as needed.
• Halve the cherry tomatoes and tear the basil leaves into small pieces. Toss both into the bowl of orzo along with the spinach. Give everything a good stir to mix and add more olive oil if needed.
• Tear the bocconcini into bite sized pieces and add them to the bowl. Stir to combine.
• Season the pasta salad with salt and pepper to taste. Serve at room temperature as a meal or as a side.

ORZO PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Cook 180g or 1 US cup of orzo according to the packet. Once cooked, drain in a colander then rinse under the cold tap. Stir in half a tablespoon of the extra virgin olive oil and leave the pasta to cool fully.Transfer to a large bowl or serving dish.
• Add 2 tablespoons of pesto to a small bowl, pour in 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and the juice of half a large lemon, stir well.
• Once the pasta has cooled add the chopped onion, cherry tomatoes, feta and the kalamata olives to the pasta.Pour the pesto dressing into the bowl then add the basil and pine nuts and toss carefully.
• Season with cracked black pepper and sea salt to taste. The serve immediately.

PESTO ORZO AND SUMMER VEGETABLE PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Prep all of the vegetables and then set them aside. Note that if you're using frozen corn, be sure to defrost it. Also, if the tomatoes are very juicy, lightly pat them dry with a paper towel.
• Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Once boiling, heavily salt the water and cook the orzo per the recommended timing on the packaging.
• Drain the orzo in a fine mesh strainer once it's done cooking, and then rinse it under cold water until it's brought down to room temperature.
• Immediately add the cooled orzo to a large bowl and coat it in the pesto. This is important because if the pasta is allowed to sit without the oil from the pesto, it will stick to itself and be ruined.
• Next, fold the vegetables and the mozzarella balls into the pesto orzo.
• Chill in the refrigerator for one hour before serving. This dish can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator for up to five days.

ORZO VEGETABLE SALAD

Steps:

• Cook orzo according to package directions., Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, artichokes, spinach, onions, cheese and capers. In a small bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients., Drain orzo and rinse in cold water. Add to vegetable mixture., Pour dressing over salad; toss to coat. Chill until serving.