Happy Memorial Day everyone! It’s officially summer now…..which means give me all the pasta salad!
I’m sure most of us will be spending our summers at backyard BBQ’s vs going away on vacations. Summer always makes me think of cookouts with hotdogs, hamburgers & PASTA SALAD! It’s such an easy dish to make & there are so many different variations.
My go-to pastas to use when making pasta salads are bowties, cavatappi or orzo. Orzo is a really great choice because it’s a cross between a pasta & a rice.
This dish is jam packed with flavor! You can certainly add more veggies to this salad to make it even healthier (cucumber, grape tomatoes or olives). I’ve even added grilled chicken or shrimp before to make it more a main dish instead of a side.
Regardless of how you make it, this salad scream summer. Serve it with Feta & Spinach Chicken Burgers for a well rounded Mediterranean meal.
- I box of Orzo pasta
- ¼ of a red onion, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 5 oz. crumbled feta cheese
- Fresh parsley
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 3-4 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- salt & pepper to taste
- Cook orzo according to directions on the box. Drain well & rinse with cold water after cooking. Add 1-2 tsp olive oil to the cooked orzo to prevent it from sticking together.
- In a big serving bowl, mix together cooked orzo, chopped red onion, chopped red bell pepper & feta cheese.
- Whisk together all ingredients of the dressing in a small bowl or measuring cup. Pour over salad.
- If making ahead of time, keep in refrigerator until ready to serve.
- Garnish with chopped fresh parsley.
