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Salads are nice, however pasta salads? The best! This Mediterranean-inspired orzo pasta salad is the last word contemporary and satisfying facet dish. It’s herby, vivid, colourful, stuffed with veggies, and prepared in simply half-hour!
It’s plant-based, optionally gluten-free, and shortly turning into our new favourite salad for BBQs, picnics, or served with grilled protein for a satisfying summer time meal. Allow us to present you the way it’s finished!
What’s Orzo?
Orzo (additionally known as risoni) is a sort of pasta with a form resembling a big grain of rice. It’s historically constituted of wheat flour, however it may be constituted of different forms of grains and gluten-free variations at the moment are out there.
Orzo is alleged to have originated in Italy, however our seek for its origin story didn’t reveal a lot else. It’s additionally a preferred ingredient in Greek delicacies.
How one can Make Orzo Pasta Salad
We begin by cooking the orzo in a pot of salted water. Salting the water offers the orzo extra taste and is considered one of our favourite methods for elevating pasta dishes. After cooking, we drain and rinse the orzo to chill it down, then toss it with slightly olive oil to forestall it from sticking collectively.
Then we transition to the flavorful, lemony dressing. Olive oil is the thick and wealthy base, lemon juice and zest add massive lemon taste, and the savory notes come from garlic powder, dried Italian herbs, salt, pepper, and dietary yeast. Whereas maple syrup provides sweetness, slightly reserved pasta water creates the precise consistency to evenly coat the orzo.
Subsequent come the vibrant, crunchy veggies and contemporary parsley, plus marinated artichoke hearts and kalamata olives so as to add swoon-worthy saltiness to each chew!
Lastly, stir in freshly chopped basil simply earlier than serving so it retains its vibrant inexperienced coloration.
We hope you LOVE this orzo salad! It’s:
Contemporary
Herby
Brilliant
Colourful
Satisfying
& SO scrumptious!
We love this salad as a make-ahead lunch, for bringing to picnics and BBQs, or for dinner with grilled protein. It will pair superbly with our Crispy Baked Tofu with Italian Herbs or Simple Marinated Grilled Rooster (30 Minutes!).
Be aware: If utilizing a rice-based gluten-free orzo, it’s greatest to make the salad simply earlier than serving as a result of it would harden as soon as it goes within the fridge.
Extra Summery Facet Dishes
In case you do this recipe, tell us! Depart a remark, price it, and don’t overlook to tag a photograph @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, associates!
Servings 6 (~1-cup servings)
PASTA SALAD
- 8 oz. dry orzo (for gluten-free* we like DeLallo // 8 oz. or 227 g dry yields ~3 cups or 480 g cooked // or sub equal quantity of farro, bulgar, or barley)
- 1/2 cup finely chopped crimson onion (1/2 medium onion yields ~1/2 cup or 70 g)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 3/4 cup finely chopped yellow bell pepper (1 medium pepper yields ~3/4 cup or 115 g // or sub crimson or orange)
- 3/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup marinated artichoke hearts, roughly chopped (we used Native Forest)
- 1/4 cup finely chopped contemporary parsley, giant stems eliminated
- 1/2 cup chopped contemporary basil, giant stems eliminated
DRESSING
- 2 Tbsp olive oil (plus extra for tossing pasta)
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice (1 medium lemon yields ~2 Tbsp or 30 ml)
- 2 tsp lemon zest (1 medium lemon yields ~2 tsp zest)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp dried Italian herb seasoning (or sub dried basil + oregano)
- 1/2 tsp every sea salt and black pepper
- 1 Tbsp dietary yeast
- 2 Tbsp pasta water
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Convey a big pot of salted water to a boil. Add the orzo and cook dinner in keeping with the package deal directions. Reserve 1/4 cup (60 ml) of pasta water, drain the pasta, rinse with chilly water, and toss with slightly olive oil. Put aside to chill.
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Whereas the water boils/pasta cooks, prep the pasta salad substances and make the dressing.
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Add the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic powder, maple syrup, Italian herbs, salt, pepper, dietary yeast, and pasta water (as soon as it’s prepared) to a big mixing bowl and whisk to mix. Add the finely chopped crimson onion and blend once more.
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Add the tomatoes, bell pepper, olives, artichoke hearts, parsley, and cooked orzo to the blending bowl. Toss nicely to mix.
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Combine within the basil simply earlier than serving. Style and alter as wanted, including extra salt for general taste, lemon juice for brightness, or herbs for freshness. Retailer in an hermetic container within the fridge for 3-4 days. Not freezer pleasant.
*If utilizing rice-based gluten-free orzo, it’s greatest to make the salad simply earlier than serving as a result of it would harden as soon as it goes within the fridge.
*Vitamin data is a tough estimate calculated with DeLallo gluten-free orzo.
Serving: 1 cup Energy: 253 Carbohydrates: 39.9 g Protein: 3.9 g Fats: 9.3 g Saturated Fats: 0.7 g Polyunsaturated Fats: 0.5 g Monounsaturated Fats: 3.3 g Trans Fats: 0 g Ldl cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 489 mg Potassium: 233 mg Fiber: 2.7 g Sugar: 4.6 g Vitamin A: 1238 IU Vitamin C: 35 mg Calcium: 32 mg Iron: 1 mg
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