Greek Orzo Pasta Salad

I'm a huge fan of Ina's. I think I have mentioned before that I own three of her cookbooks and often turn to her for simple meal ideas that usually don't take too much prep time. I found this recipe for her greek salad, which has rave reviews online, and decided to add orzo and make it a pasta salad. Since I am not an olive fan I left them out, but you can definitely include them if you are an olive lover. This is a great, flavorful side for summer that is colorful and your guests will love. I served this with burgers on the grill over the weekend for my in-laws and received rave reviews. This pasta salad was even better the next day once it sat in the fridge overnight.

Source: Foodnetwork.com

You Will Need For the Salad:

• 1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 1 red bell pepper, large-diced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, large-diced
• 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 red onion, sliced in half-rounds
• 1/2 pound feta cheese, 1/2-inch diced (not crumbled)
• 1 cup orzo, uncooked

You Will Need for the Vinaigrette:

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup good red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup good olive oil

Here We Go:

• Place the cucumber, peppers, tomatoes and red onion in a large bowl
• For the vinaigrette, whisk together the garlic, oregano, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper in a small bowl
• Still whisking, slowly add the olive oil to make an emulsion
• Pour the vinaigrette over the vegetables
• Add the feta and toss lightly
• Set aside for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to blend
• While salad is set aside, cook orzo according to package directions
• Add orzo and toss
• Serve at room temperature

Serves 6
Happy Feasting!