Recipes

[LoLa]

Lemon-Dill Orzo Salad w. Cucumber, Olives & Feta
(recipe source: strawberryplum.com)

This salad is really nice. It's light and summery. I usually serve it with grilled chicken or we eat it as a main dish.

1 pound Orzo Pasta
Zest of one lemon
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons dijon mustart
1 medium shallot, grated
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
1 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
2 medium cucumbers, mostly peeled and seeded, chopped
6 ounces Feta, crumbled

1. Cook the orzo in abundant salted water according to package instructions or to your taste. Drain and transfer to a large salad bowl.
2. Meanwhile make lemon-dill vinaigrette to dress the salad. Combine lemon zest and juice, mustard, and grated shallot in a medium bowl. Whisk together with a few pinches of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Slowly add the olive oil while whisking then stir in the chopped dill. Taste and adjust as needed.
3. Pour the vinaigrette over the still warm pasta and toss. Allow to cool to room temperature then add the olives and cucumbers. Scatter the crumbled feta cheese over the top and serve. Serves 8

***NOTE (from author):
The best advice I can give about making pasta salad is to dress your pasta while it is still warm so it better absorbs the flavor of your homemade dressing. Do not make the mistake of running your pasta under cold water before dressing it–the dressing won’t stick to the pasta as well and the whole thing will taste bland and watered down. One more tip–pasta salad is better at room temperature than straight from the fridge.