Summer Orzo Salad

This salad was whipped up by my wife, Jan Baby. I’m not the worlds biggest fan of healthy eating, and pasta with veggies in it is far off my radar; this one however, knocked my socks off. For a summer salad and holiday BBQ action, think Memorial Day, July 4th; it is a fun and deliciously healthy alternative way to enjoy the taste and health benefits of a pasta salad.

Orzo was a new one on me. I had never heard of it before, never cooked, eaten or discussed it or ever seen it in the store. This is a petite pasta, little rice sized and shaped pasta kernels.   Jan Baby swears that it is fairly easy to find in most grocery stores, and she is right. Since discovering orzo, I now look on the pasta isle and have no trouble ferreting it out.  Jan adapted this recipe from one she found while surfing the web from the family iPad.

Ingredients

1lb Orzo Pasta
¼-½ Cup Olive Oil
1 Cup fresh spinach leaves, torn or leftr whole ~or~ 1 Cup broccoli flowers, blanched or raw
4oz crumbled feta cheese
½ Cup dried cranberries ~or~ dried cherries
8-10 Torn or sliced basil leaves
½ Cup toasted pine nuts (optional)
3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or to taste
1 Teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
1 Carton cherry tomatoes, lalved ~or~ cubed fresh tomatoes
Handful calamata olives (optional)

Method

Cook orzo pasta according to package directions. Cool in bowl, adding a little EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) to prevent sticking. When cool, add rest of ingredients. Combine well and enjoy!