Sun Dried Tomato Black Olive And Mozzarella Orzo Gratin Recipes

TOMATO AND BLACK OLIVE ORZO SALAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Place the tomatoes on a sheet tray and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast until the tomatoes are tender and just bursting slightly but not falling apart, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
• Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente (following package instructions). While the pasta is cooking, make a vinaigrette by pouring the juice from the bottom of the pan the tomatoes cooked in into a mixing bowl. Add the feta, vinegar, mustard, garlic, sliced basil, oregano, sugar, and salt and pepper to taste. Slowly pour in 3 tablespoons of the olive oil while whisking to lightly emulsify. Drain the cooked pasta and toss with the vinaigrette. Add the grape tomatoes, olives, chickpeas, roasted red pepper, pepperoncini peppers, onion and chopped basil and toss to combine.
• This is a great salad to serve with Mediterranean Sardines with Lemon and Garlic.
• For the spicy tartar: Combine the mayonnaise, yogurt, pickles, red pepper, onion, capers, lemon juice, tarragon, chives, hot sauce and cayenne in a mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Stir well, then cover and refrigerate for 15 to 20 minutes to allow flavors to come together.
• For the sardines: Preheat a grill to high. Rinse the sardines in cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Season the cavity of each sardine with salt and pepper, then place a sprig of thyme and oregano inside each along with a few slices of lemon and garlic. Season outside with salt and pepper. Carefully tie the sardines with butchers twine to help keep them closed during grilling. Wipe down the grill grates with a towel dipped in oil to clean and create a non-stick surface. Carefully place sardines across grates and grill for 3 to 4 minutes, until skin blisters and chars around the edges. Using a spatula, carefully turn the sardines and grill for a further 2 to 3 minutes to cook through. When done, remove to a platter and keep warm until ready to serve. Serve the sardines slathered with the Spicy Tartar.

ORZO WITH SUN-DRIED TOMATOES AND KALAMATA OLIVES

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook orzo in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain.
• Mix orzo pasta, tomatoes, and olives together in a large bowl. Pour pesto over pasta mixture and stir to coat. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the pasta mixture; stir. Drizzle olive oil over the salad and stir to achieve your preferred moisture level.

SUN-DRIED TOMATO BASIL ORZO

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add orzo and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain and set aside.
• Place basil leaves and sun-dried tomatoes in a food processor. Pulse 4 or 5 times until blended.
• In a large bowl, toss together the orzo, basil-tomato mixture, olive oil, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Serve warm or chilled.

PASTA SALAD WITH MOZZARELLA, SUN-DRIED TOMATOES AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Blend first 5 ingredients in processor until tomatoes are coarsely chopped. Set dressing aside.
• Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain. Transfer to large bowl. Add dressing to hot pasta; toss to coat. Cool, stirring occasionally. Add chopped fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, Parmesan and olives; toss. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 6 hours ahead. Cover; chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.)

SUN-DRIED TOMATO AND HERBED/CHEESED BAKED ORZO

Steps:

• Heat olive oil and butter over medium/high heat in saucepan til hot. Add shallots and cook til translucent, but not brown. Add chopped sun-dried tomatoes. Cook 1 minute more, stirring and moving mixture around constantly. Add garlic, cooking one minute more. Be careful at this point not to burn garlic or all will be ruined.
• Add 1 cup orzo to saucepan, constantly stirring and toasting the pasta for 1 to 2 minutes. Add chicken broth, and crank heat up to high to bring to a boil. Add salt and pepper for seasoning, being careful not to over-salt, as parmesano reggiano has a high salt content. When boil is reached, cover and reduce to simmer and cover til most of liquid is absorbed. You want SOME liquid to remain.
• Transfer to a bowl. Add fontina cheese and 1/4 cup parmesan, basil and parsley. Add cream. Stir well. Transfer to 2-quart buttered/greased ramekin or equivalent and cover the top with the mixture of Italian seasoned bread crumbs and remaining 1/4 cup reggiano cheese.
• Dot top with bits of butter and bake in 375 oven for approximately 30 minutes.
• Serve immediately, grating more reggiano over dish if desired.

ORZO SALAD WITH SUN-DRIED TOMATOES

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, cook pasta in boiling water until just tender, about 8 minutes.
• Drain.
• Place garlic, salt, pepper, mustard and vinegar into a food processor.
• Process well.
• Add oil, process briefly until well blended.
• Pour over orzo while pasta is still warm.
• Add tomatoes to pasta along with olives and chopped parsley.
• Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
• Toss again and adjust seasonings, if necessary.
• Serve immediately, or refrigerate for later use (can be made earlier in the day).
• Best served at room temperature.

ORZO WITH SUN-DRIED TOMATOES AND FETA CHEESE

Steps:

• I like whole sundried tomatoes that are NOT packed in olive oil.
• To"plump" the tomatoes, bring 1/4- 1/2 cup water to a boil, add tomatoes, and let steep for about 10 minutes.
• Drain any excess water, and chop tomatoes into bite size pieces.
• Cook orzo according to package directions, drain, and toss in a large bowl with a drizzle of extra virgin oilve oil, garlic and oregano.
• Let orzo cool for a bit before adding other ingredients.
• Next add sundried tomatoes, black olives, roasted red peppers, salt, pepper and feta cheese.
• Combine well.
• Garnish with parsley, if using, and serve at room temperature.

BAKED TOMATO & MOZZARELLA ORZO

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Tip the orzo into a medium casserole dish, then stir in the oil, red peppers, olives, chilli flakes and dried oregano. Tip in the chopped tomatoes, then refill the can halfway with water and pour that in too. Give everything a good mix, season, then cover and bake for 20 mins until the pasta is almost cooked. Take it out of the oven and give the orzo a stir. Remove the foil and return to the oven for a further 5 mins.
• Heat the grill to high. Take the orzo out of the oven and tear the mozzarella over the top, then grill until melted and bubbling. Serve with salad on the side, if you like.