I made the following orzo salad to bring to a family barbeque. It is a great addition to a cookout, but can also be served during a dinner at home with burgers or grilled chicken, for example. One of the great things about this recipe is that it can be made ahead of time and refrigerated until you are ready to serve it. The salad also made great leftovers.
The original recipe didn't call for asparagus, but I felt like it could use another vegetable to add substance to the salad. I think it would also be delicious if you added feta cheese. If you wanted to turn this into an entree, you could probably add chunks of grilled chicken or grilled shrimp. The options are endless!
Tomato and Asparagus Orzo Salad
(adapted from Food.com recipe)
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups dried orzo pasta
- 6 asparagus stalks, chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 1 container grape tomatoes, chopped in half
- 3/4 cup chopped fresh basil
- 1 -2 garlic clove, peeled and minced
- 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Directions:
2. In a separate, large bowl, mix grape tomatoes, chopped basil, garlic, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar.
3. Drain pasta and asparagus mixture, and add to the tomato mixture. Stir well.
4. Add in parmesan cheese, as well as salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately, or refrigerate and serve cold.
*Makes approximately 6 servings.
