A Pasta Salad Actually Worth Making- Orzo, Arugula, Tomato and Feta.

Hey Blogosphere,

If you’re like me, you’re tired of the same old pasta salads. It seems every BBQ, party and potluck this time of year is full of the standard elbow macaroni + carrots + celery + enormous amounts of mayo salad. Not that I don’t love a nice cup of mac salad, but let’s be honest, it gets a little old. So I was excited to try this recipe!

Total Time : 30 Minutes

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Prep Time : 10 Minutes

Cook Time: 20 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups orzo
1 1/2 cups red and yellow teardrop tomatoes or grape tomatoes, halved
3/4 cup finely chopped green or red onion
1/2 tablespoon of crushed (or jarred) garlic
1 cup chopped arugula
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup feta cheese
3 pinches of shredded parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

In a medium sized pot, place water on stove to boil. Once boiling add the orzo and reduce heat to medium to allow the orzo to cook, but to prevent the pot from boiling over. Stir occasionally to prevent the orzo from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Drain when cooked to desired tenderness.

At the same time you pour the orzo into the pot, in a medium sized saucepan add the sliced tomatoes, garlic, and onions, with a little bit of olive oil and heat over medium heat. Stir occasionally to avoid burning the onions. Cook for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large bowl add the orzo and the tomato/onion/garlic mixture. Do not drain the juices from the tomatoes, these should go into the bowl as well. Add the chopped arugula, salt, pepper, white wine vinegar and toss well.

Add the crumbled feta cheese and the olive oil to the bowl and mix well.

(Note: my boyfriend is not a huge fan of feta so I made this dish with cotija cheese instead. It was just as lovely! If you’ve got a picky cheese eater like me, try branching out with different less taste full cheeses.)