As an intern at Dean & DeLuca, my palate is often introduced to new and sophisticated flavor combinations like the pasta salad recipe that I found on our website here. Being a budget-conscientious vegetarian, this dish met both of my requirements. It was my first time experimenting with orzo, a rice-shaped pasta that was surprisingly affordable at $1.59 for 2 cups. Seemingly simple with few ingredients, the unusual grouping of onion, acid and mint are flavors that I had never paired.

Orzo Salad with Lemon, Mint & Ricotta Salata

Ingredients:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/3 cup shallots, minced (Grate it if you’re like me and not good with a knife!)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, or more to taste
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup uncooked orzo
1/2 cup very finely diced yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup very finely diced seedless cucumber (Peeled, if you prefer.)
1/2 cup crumbled ricotta salata cheese
3 tablespoons minced fresh mint leaves

orzo+ingredients Light, Flavorful, RefreshingDirections:
1. Stir together the olive oil, shallots, lemon juice, garlic, and lemon zest in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

2. Cook the orzo in a large kettle of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain pasta completely in a colander, running under cold water. Transfer orzo to a bowl, stir in the olive oil mixture, and let cool. Stir in the bell pepper, cucumber, ricotta salata, and mint until combined well. You could serve the salad immediately or let it stand at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours. Serves 4 to 6.

orzo+dish Light, Flavorful, Refreshing Ricotta salata is a firm, salted cheese made from sheep’s milk and can be found in our markets. The texture is similar to feta, which I substituted. Dean & DeLuca has never steered me wrong and besides cheese, I didn’t stray from the tried-and-true recipe, although the combinations that would complement this dish are endless:
  • Grilled asparagus, chickpeas, Kalamata olives, spinach and grape tomatoes have always been a favorite of mine in pasta salads.
  • The lemon in this version made it pop and was unmistakably summertime but I imagine a Dijon mustard or honey vinaigrette would have the same effect.
  • Mint really freshened up this salad and rosemary, oregano or parsley would also brighten it.

Because it’s best after being out for a couple of hours, this dish has become a new staple at my summer cook-outs, lakeside weekends and picnics.

orzo+close Light, Flavorful, Refreshing

This wasn’t the only dish that pleasantly surprised me – find the rest in our recipes section.


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Comments ( 4 )

This looks amazing! Love the contrasting flavors. :o )

Anonymous added these pithy words on Jun 11 09 at 5:14 pm

wow…. the way you described it is making my mouth water! can't wait to try the recipe.

ava cliff notes added these pithy words on Jun 11 09 at 6:09 pm

my mouth is watering after reading this blog! can't wait to try the recipe.

angie added these pithy words on Jun 11 09 at 6:09 pm

"Chefly" remarkable!

Anonymous added these pithy words on Jun 15 09 at 4:24 pm

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