Orzo Salad With Peppers And Feta Food

ORZO SALAD WITH PEPPERS AND FETA

Steps:

• Cook orzo in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta, pressing out excess liquid. Spread out on a baking sheet to cool.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Add onion, bell peppers and thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomato and cook, stirring occasionally, until broken down and juices release, about 8 minutes.
• Add the reserved pasta water and stir to scrape up any browned bits at the bottom of the skillet. Transfer vegetable mixture to a large bowl to cool slightly to lukewarm, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to speed up the cooling process. Discard thyme sprig.
• Add cooled orzo, lemon juice, basil and cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix well, then transfer to a large serving bowl or platter. Garnish with more basil.

ORZO SALAD WITH FETA, OLIVES AND BELL PEPPERS

Steps:

• Cook orzo in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Rinse with cold water; drain well. Transfer to large bowl. Toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add crumbled feta cheese, chopped bell peppers, Kalamata olives, green onions and capers.
• Combine lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, oregano, mustard and cumin in small bowl. Gradually whisk in remaining 1/2 cup olive oil. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.
• Add dressing to orzo mixture and toss to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 6 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
• Garnish salad with pine nuts; serve.

ORZO WITH SAUSAGE, PEPPERS AND TOMATOES

Steps:

• Using tongs, place the bell peppers over a gas flame. Cook, turning occasionally, until the skins are charred on all sides, about 5 to 6 minutes. (Alternatively, place the peppers on a baking sheet and broil for 5 to 8 minutes, until charred.) Place the charred peppers in a medium bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the peppers to steam for 20 minutes. Under running water, peel away the charred skin from the peppers. Pat the peppers dry with paper towels. Remove the stem and seeds from the peppers and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices. Set aside.
• In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken stock, water, and kosher salt to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes.
• While the pasta is cooking: In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the turkey sausage and saute until cooked through, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the bell peppers, tomatoes, and red pepper flakes, if using, and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes.
• Drain the pasta, reserving about 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid, and transfer to a large serving bowl. Add the sausage mixture, 1 tablespoon of the parsley, and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Toss well to combine all ingredients, adding reserved cooking liquid, if needed, to loosen the pasta. Top with the ricotta salata and sprinkle with the remaining parsley. Serve.

ORZO SALAD WITH SHRIMP AND FETA

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente (about 2 minutes less than the label directs). Drain and rinse under cool water; shake off the excess. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside, stirring occasionally to prevent clumping, while you make the shrimp.
• Toss the shrimp on a baking sheet with 1 tablespoon olive oil, the garlic, and salt and pepper to taste; arrange in a single layer. Broil the shrimp, turning once, until opaque and just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add the shrimp, lemon zest and juice, scallions, mint, dill, cucumber, feta, olives and the remaining 1/3 cup olive oil to the bowl with the pasta; toss. Serve immediately or refrigerate, covered, up to 6 hours. (Bring to room temperature before serving.)

MACRINA'S ORZO SALAD WITH CUCUMBER, BELL PEPPER, BASIL AND FETA

Steps:

• SALAD.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Spread the walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet and toast on the center rack of the oven for about 10 minutes, or until golden brown.
• Let cool, then coarsely chop and set aside.
• Peel and core the cucumber and cut it into 1/2-inch cubes.
• Core the red and yellow peppers and cut them into 1/2-inch-square pieces.
• Set aside.
• Fill a large saucepan two-thirds full of water.
• Add a pinch of salt and bring to a boil.
• Drop in the pasta and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, or until tender.
• Remove the pan from the heat and drain the pasta in a colander, then cool the pasta by running cold tap water over the colander for a few minutes.
• Shake the colander to remove excess water and transfer the cooled pasta to a medium bowl.
• Toss with the olive oil to keep the pasta from sticking together.
• Add the toasted walnuts, cucumbers, peppers, olives, scallions, basil, parsley and feta.
• Drizzle in the Lemon Vinaigrette and toss well.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
• LEMON VINAIGRETTE yield: 1 1/4 cups.
• Combine all the ingredients except the olive oil in a medium bowl.
• Mix well with a whisk.
• Add the oil in a slow stream, whisking as you pour.
• Continue whisking until the dressing has emulsified, then cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

ORZO AND BROCCOLI SALAD

Steps:

• Cook pasta in large saucepan as directed on package, omitting salt and adding broccoli to the boiling water for the last 2 min.; drain. Rinse with cold water; drain well.
• Place pasta mixture in large bowl. Add tomatoes, peppers and 3/4 cup dressing; mix lightly.
• Refrigerate 1 hour. Add cheese, nuts and remaining dressing; mix lightly.

ORZO WITH FETA, CUCUMBER AND TOMATO

Steps:

• Place orzo pasta, chicken broth, water, and half the chopped red bell pepper into a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer until orzo are tender and liquid has been absorbed, about 10 minutes. Drain and rinse. Allow to cool.
• Place orzo into a large salad bowl with remaining red bell pepper and 2 tablespoons olive oil; toss to coat. Mix in cucumbers, feta cheese, roma tomatoes, red onion, Kalamata olives, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, and cumin; toss salad well. Drizzle 2 more tablespoons olive oil over top of salad. Refrigerate 1 hour, tossing once or twice; season to taste with salt and black pepper before serving.

GREEK ORZO SALAD

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. Drain artichoke hearts, reserving liquid.
• In large bowl combine pasta, artichoke hearts, tomato, cucumber, onion, feta, olives, parsley, lemon juice, oregano and lemon pepper. Toss and chill for 1 hour in refrigerator.
• Just before serving, drizzle reserved artichoke marinade over salad.

ORZO SALAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
• Roast pine nuts in a rimmed sheet pan until golden, about 8 minutes.
• Cook orzo in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water until tender, then drain well in a colander.
• Meanwhile, whisk together lemon juice, oil, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl.
• Add hot orzo to dressing and toss. Let orzo come to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
• Add pine nuts, peppers, mozzarella, arugula, and radicchio and toss well.
• Season salad with salt, pepper, and additional lemon juice, if desired.

ORZO PASTA SALAD WITH GRILLED CONFETTI VEGETABLES AND FETA

Steps:

• In a large pot, bring about 4 cups of salted water to a boil. Add orzo pasta and cook according to package directions, about 6-8 minutes, until al dente (firm to the bite). Drain and rinse under cold water. Let orzo sit in colander to drain well. Transfer to a large bowl and toss with about 2 tsp (5 ml) olive oil to prevent sticking. Set aside.
• In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, oregano, lemon juice, lemon peel, salt and pepper until well combined. Set aside.
• Preheat a barbeque or grill to medium-high heat. Brush zucchini strips and yellow pepper with a little olive oil. Place these, along with corn, on barbeque and grill for 4-5 minutes on each side until grill marks appear and vegetables are tender. Remove and set aside on a baking tray to cool. Once cool, cut the kernels off of the corn husks (there should be about 2 cups) and chop the zucchini and yellow peppers into ½-inch (1 cm) pieces.
• To the orzo pasta, add the zucchini, yellow pepper, corn, cherry tomatoes, feta and pine nuts. Drizzle over lemon vinaigrette and toss gently to combine. Garnish with torn basil leaves.
• In a hurry? Chop zucchini and yellow pepper into ½-inch dice. Place in large bowl along with cherry tomatoes and 1 cup corn (canned). Toss with 1 tbsp olive oil and season the vegetables with salt and pepper. Spread evenly onto a baking sheet. Bake until lightly browned, about 10 to 15 minutes. Set aside and let cool to room temperature and then toss with orzo salad as above.

ORZO PASTA SALAD WITH FETA & OLIVES

Steps:

• Cook orzo as directed on package, omitting salt; drain. Place in large bowl.
• Whisk dressing, herbs and lemon juice until blended. Add to orzo with remaining ingredients; mix lightly.
• Refrigerate 1 hour.