Greek Orzo Pasta Salad

This apparently is salad week on the blog. Today’s Greek orzo pasta salad is a light and tasty dinner you can serve to help celebrate the temperatures warming up.

I didn’t set out to make this week all about salads, but I’ve found myself eating more and more of them lately. I think it’s because it’s been pretty warm here the past month or so and my body is starting to get into summer mode. I know that sounds kind of strange, because there should be a season called Spring in between Winter and Summer. However, here in Texas, the season of Spring is typically unbelievably short (or non-existant).

This orzo pasta salad is a great way to kick off Spring or Summer (depending on where you live and what Mother Nature is doling out). It’s light and has a tangy dressing that’s really refreshing and it’s not a heavy pasta salad because the orzo is sitting on top of a plate of salad greens.

I’m a big fan of little pasta shapes like orzo, they’re so versatile. You can use them as the dish itself or toss them in with some greens or add a ton of vegetables to them and they fall into the background. Those little shapes are also fun to eat…well, pasta is just fun to eat.

When I dished out this orzo pasta salad, Craig swore there was mayonnaise in the dressing (it’s just that creamy) – there’s no mayo in the dressing. He then proceeded to inhale it and proclaim it as his new favorite salad. I think that says a lot when a guy likes a salad that much.

You’ll love making this pasta salad for a filling lunch or light dinner.

Greek Orzo Pasta Salad

 

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Prep time

25 mins

Cook time

5 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

This Greek orzo pasta salad is easy, delicious and perfect for lunch or dinner. The light and tangy dressing takes it right over the top.

Author: Pamela Braun

Recipe type: Dinner

Cuisine: Greek

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried orzo pasta (cooked according to package instructions and drained)
• 1 pound shelled, de-veined shrimp
• 1 5 ounce bag spinach or Spring mix greens, roughly chopped
• ¼ cup tomatoes, diced
• ½ cucumber, peeled and diced
• ¼ cup diced red onion
• feta cheese (optional)
• For the Dressing
• 1 .66 ounce package fresh dill
• 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. Lightly coat a large skillet with oil and heat over medium high heat.
2. Once pan is hot, toss in shrimp and cook for 2-3 minutes per side. When done, remove shrimp from pan.
3. For the Dressing
4. Remove the dill fronds from the thick stems (except for one stem to use later for garnish) and add to blender.
5. Add vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper to blender.
6. Begin blending and slowly drizzle in the olive oil.
7. Once the dressing comes together stop blending and give it a taste. Add more salt and pepper if needed.
8. Pour dressing over drained orzo and stir to thoroughly coat the pasta in the dressing.
9. For the Salad
10. Line the plates with the chopped greens.
11. Add the dressed orzo pasta on top of the greens.
12. Sprinkle each of the salads with the tomatoes, cucumber and red onion.
13. Divide the shrimp between the plates and top the salads with the shrimp.
14. Pull some of the fronds from the stem of dill you set aside and garnish the plates.
15. Sprinkle with crumbled feta cheese if you wish.

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