Greek-style pasta salad

A hearty and delicious twist on a classic favourite!

So many classic salads can be made more satisfying by adding in cooked pasta. My Niçoise-inspired pasta salad is a great example; so is my tasty take on Waldorf salad. This easy to prepare salad makes a fantastic vegetarian-friendly main course or side dish; if you use a vegan cheese in place of traditional feta, you’ll make the vegans in your life very happy. Note that you can easily swap in your favourite small-sized gluten free pasta if you prefer. A superb pairing for this dish is Château du Trignon’s  Côtes du Rhône Rosé from France; it’s a lovely wine that’s both floral and fruity. Made from a blend of Grenache, Cincault and Syrah grapes, it nicely complements the Mediterranean flavours in this salad.

Ingredients

Salad:

• 3/4 cup (150 g) orzo, uncooked
• 1 1/2 cups (375 mL) water
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/4 cup (15 g) thinly sliced red onion
• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) cold water
• 1 cup (200 g) chopped tomatoes
• 1 cup (150 g) chopped green pepper
• 1 cup (142 g) chopped seedless cucumber
• 1/2 cup (70 g) pitted Kalamata olives, halved

Dressing:

• 3 tablespoons (45 mL) red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon each salt, pepper (or to taste)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/3 cup (90 mL) olive oil

Garnish:

• 1/2 cup (75 g) crumbled feta (or vegan alternative)

Method

• Make dressing by combining vinegar, lemon, salt, pepper and oregano in a small jar with a tight lid. Cover and shake. Add olive oil and shake again. Set aside.
• Put water and salt in a medium pot. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat; uncover, add orzo and return to a boil then reduce heat to medium and cook till pasta is al dente (7 – 9 minutes).
• While orzo is cooking, put red onion in a bowl and cover with ice water and 1 tablespoon white vinegar and let soak. This will make the taste of the raw onions much milder.
• When orzo is cooked, drain immediately and transfer to a large, broad bowl or platter; toss with a few tablespoons of the dressing.
• Also while orzo cooks, chop vegetables and crumble cheese.
• To assemble salad, scatter chopped vegetables and olives over the lightly-dressed orzo. Salad can be covered and refrigerated for up to 48 hours at this point.
• When ready to serve, drizzle remaining dressing over everything and toss to combine. Scatter feta on top then serve. Pass drained red onions at the table.

Serves 4 – 6 as a main course or 8 – 10 as a side dish.