ORZO SALAD WITH ROASTED RED PEPPERS, SPINACH, AND MOZZARELLA
This Father's Day my siblings and I actually cooked instead of the usual pretending we were going to cook and leaving the hard work for the parents! Pasta salad was the first thing to come to mind as a nice appetizer for our barbecue lunch. I tried to work with what was in the closet and luckily my mom had a ton of ingredients in the pantry that would work perfectly together. I gave it a go and whipped together something delicious for the fam! Here is the recipe for my orzo salad with roasted red peppers, spinach and mozzarella. It is definitely a great addition to any summer BBQ!
I apologize in advance for not having the nutrition facts but I literally made this up!
Ingredients
2 cups orzo pasta
6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup (or more to taste) balsamic vinaigrette dressing
1 cup roasted red peppers, blotted dry and chopped
1 cup coarsely chopped baby spinach
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
3 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup diced mozzarella cheese
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Instructions
1
Cook the orzo
Bring broth to a boil in a good sized saucepan or pasta pot. Add orzo and cook until tender according to package directions. Drain well in a fine mesh colander but do not rinse. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and toss with 1 or 2 teaspoons of the prepared dressing to prevent it from sticking. Let the pasta cool to room temperature. If making in advance, cover and refrigerate cooled orzo until ready to assemble salad.
2
Prep the garnishes
Blot dry the roasted red peppers and chop.
Coarsely chop the baby spinach.
Chop the fresh basil.
Thinly slice the green onions.
Dice the mozzarella cheese.
COMBINE!
Toss the cooled pasta with the roasted red peppers, spinach, basil, and green onions. Pour the balsamic vinaigrette over the salad and stir to coat the ingredients with the dressing. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Sprinkle the diced mozzarella cheese over the top and toss lightly. Serve at room temperature.
SUPER SIMPLE AND DELICIOUS!
I hope you guys try this out this summer - I guarantee it will be a staple of your summer lunches or dinners!
What recipes do you include in your summer meals? Please share!
xoxo. Alexandra
