Lemony Orzo Salad

If you have been reading my blog for awhile, you know I am a huge fan of making pasta salads during the summer. They are so easy to prepare in advance, and when I am serving a group of guests, I love just taking it out of the refrigerator and putting it on the table when we are ready to eat.

I love to use orzo for a nice light pasta salad - a little bit goes a long way and it can be combined with virtually everything! All amounts of the add-ins are approximate - add more or less of whatever you'd like! This particular salad has great flavors, with the lemony vinaigrette paired with fresh veggies and salty olives and feta cheese. Yum!

Lemony Orzo Salad

adapted from Cooking Light, found on Aggie's Kitchen

Makes 8+ servings

3/4 pound uncooked orzo

1 medium zucchini, diced.

1/2 small red onion, diced

1/3 cup minced fresh parsley

4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)

1 tablespoon minced fresh or 1 teaspoon dried basil

6 tablespoons good quality olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 pint grape tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise

1/3 - 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

1/4 cup pitted kalamata olived, sliced in half lengthwise

Cook the orzo according to package directions to al dente. Drain well and rinse with cool water.

Combine orzo, zucchini, and onion in a large bowl; toss well. In a small bowl, whisk together parsley and next 5 ingredients (through pepper).

Stir into orzo mixture; add tomato, cheese, and olives, tossing gently to coat. Refrigerate 4-24 hours.