Once in a while I come throughout a recipe at a restaurant that I completely love, then I spend the subsequent few moments making an attempt to guess what’s in it so I can recreate it at residence…for lots much less! Nicely immediately, I’m sharing a type of recipes! This Orzo Pasta Salad is impressed by a dish at considered one of my favourite eating places, J. Alexander’s, and it’s now going into my pasta salads rotation!🙌 It consists of recent veggies like bell peppers, tomatoes and onion, together with tart & barely candy dried cranberries, and the very best home made French dressing dressing to convey all of it collectively. This pasta salad recipe will certainly change into a brand new favourite!
The restaurant model of this recipe consists of wild rice, however I made a decision to go away the rice out as a result of for one…wild rice will be costly, and two…wild rice takes fairly a little bit of time to prepare dinner. However I completely love this model as an alternative! So right here’s every thing it’s good to make this straightforward orzo pasta salad recipe:
- Orzo: Orzo is a small formed pasta that appears just like rice. It cooks shortly and is widespread in soups and salads identical to this one. In the event you don’t have entry to orzo pasta, you may definitely substitute it for a special small-shaped pasta as an alternative.
- Greens: A mix of veggies like bell peppers, roma tomatoes, pink onion and candy corn, provides numerous coloration, taste, and texture. I made positive to cube the greens small so that they match the proportion dimension of the remainder of the substances.
- Dried Cranberries: One of many issues I like most about this pasta salad is the addition of the dried cranberries. It provides a tart & barely candy taste and compliments the candy corn and dressing completely!
- French dressing Dressing: To maintain issues mild and recent, I opted for a home made French dressing dressing made with easy pantry substances and sweetened with a little bit of honey. It’s so good!!
- Change it up! In the event you’re seeking to change up the flavour profile, then attempt including some Kalamata olives, crumbled feta cheese, and greek salad dressing, for a Mediterranean-inspired orzo pasta salad!
- Wanna make it extra filling? Add some grilled hen, grilled shrimp, or a can of chickpeas (drained & rinsed).
- Settle down the pasta. Don’t overlook to provide the cooked pasta and corn a fast rinse underneath cool water to cease the cooking course of and funky off the pasta earlier than including the veggies, herbs and cheese.
Serving Ideas
This mild and summery orzo pasta salad is ideal for BBQs and cookouts! Add it to your summer season menu and luxuriate in it with some turkey burgers or grilled salmon. It’s additionally nice with leaner proteins like Baked Cod, Pan-Seared Hen Breasts, and even some Garlic Butter Shrimp on the aspect.
Orzo Pasta Salad
This mild & recent Orzo Pasta Salad is stuffed with colourful veggies and a scrumptious home made dressing. Good for BBQs or meal prep it for the week!
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French dressing Dressing
- 1/3 cup olive oil ($0.96)
- 3 Tbsp white wine vinegar ($0.39)
- 1/2 Tbsp Dijon mustard ($0.04)
- 1 clove garlic, minced ($0.08)
- 1/2 tsp dried basil ($0.05)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 1 Tbsp honey ($0.18)
Pasta Salad
- 1 1/2 cups raw orzo pasta ($1.49)
- 1 cup frozen corn ($0.41)
- 1 pink bell pepper ($1.59)
- 1 yellow bell pepper ($1.59)
- 2 roma tomatoes ($0.78)
- 1/2 pink onion ($0.40)
- 3/4 cup dried cranberries ($1.70)
- 1/4 cup recent chopped parsley ($0.29)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
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Begin by making the French dressing dressing. In a medium bowl whisk collectively the olive oil, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, basil, salt and honey till easy. Set the French dressing apart.
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Prepare dinner the orzo pasta in keeping with the bundle instructions. Add the frozen corn to the boiling water over the past 3 minutes of the pasta prepare dinner time. Drain the pasta and corn in a colander and rinse briefly with cool water to chill off the pasta.
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Whereas the pasta is cooking, put together the veggies. Cube the bell peppers and tomatoes, finely cube the pink onion, measure out the dried cranberries, and chop the parsley.
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Switch the pasta and corn to a big bowl. Add the chopped greens, chopped parsley and dried cranberries.
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Give the French dressing dressing one other stir. Pour the dressing over the pasta salad and season with 1/4 tsp salt. Toss the salad substances collectively till every thing is evenly coated within the dressing. Serve instantly or refrigerate till able to take pleasure in.
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*Retailer any leftovers in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 3 days.
Serving: 1cupEnergy: 265kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 5gFats: 10gSodium: 163mgFiber: 3g
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Tips on how to Make Orzo Pasta Salad – Step by Step Pictures
Begin by making the French dressing dressing. In a medium bowl whisk collectively 1/3 cup olive oil, 3 Tbsp white wine vinegar, 1/2 Tbsp Dijon mustard, 1 minced garlic clove, 1/2 tsp basil, 1/4 tsp salt and 1 Tbsp honey till easy. Set the French dressing apart.
Prepare dinner 1 1/2 cups of orzo pasta in keeping with the bundle instructions. Add 1 cup frozen corn to the boiling water over the past 3 minutes of the pasta prepare dinner time. Drain the pasta and corn in a colander and rinse briefly with cool water to chill off the pasta.
Whereas the pasta is cooking, put together the veggies. Cube 1 pink bell pepper, 1 yellow bell pepper, 2 roma tomatoes, finely cube 1/2 pink onion, measure out 3/4 cups dried cranberries, and chop 1/4 cup recent parsley. (Frozen corn is pictured on the slicing board, however is added within the earlier step with the boiling pasta).
Switch the cooked pasta and corn to a big bowl. Add the chopped greens, chopped parsley and dried cranberries. Give the French dressing dressing one other stir. Pour the dressing over the pasta salad.
Toss the salad substances collectively till every thing is evenly coated within the dressing. Serve instantly or refrigerate till able to take pleasure in!
Take pleasure in this mild, recent and summery orzo pasta salad at your subsequent BBQ, cookout or household gathering! Retailer any leftovers in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 3 days.
