Bursting with fresh flavors - I love this salad! It's a simple "dump and stir" pasta salad, but the flavors are complex and fresh. A simple honey-mustard vinaigrette hits the pasta while it's still warm (so the starch absorbs every note) and then olives, capers, tomatoes, and loads of fresh herbs are woven in. Salty feta tumbles in right at the end. It's a party on the palate.
What I love most about this salad is it's versatility. I started out thinking "Greek-inspired", so that's why I added red wine vinegar, oregano and feta. In fact, when I'm planning recipes, I often start with international inspiration and take it from there. As I was chopping and tossing ingredients into the bowl, I thought about all the other ingredients I could be adding - leftover chicken (or shredded rotisserie chicken), grilled shrimp, roasted red peppers, sundried tomatoes, celery, cucumber, blanched broccoli, crushed red pepper flakes, and more. I encourage you to open up your fridge and let the experimenting begin.
About the orzo: I love orzo in pasta salads because every "grain" of pasta is coated with dressing. Like flavorful confetti. In one spoonful, you get dozens of tender little pasta pieces, all coated with dressing, plus a sampling of the other ingredients in the salad. Try to do that with penne. One or two penne noodles and your fork is full. How's that olive gonna fit? And let's forget the grape tomatoes altogether.
That said, please feel free to use whatever pasta shape you already have on hand. Including spaghetti and angel hair - simply crack the long strands into small pieces before boiling.
Totally prep-ahead friendly, you can make this salad up to 2 days in advance and store it in the refrigerator. That's what I did. We have the state track championships this weekend, which means 8-10 hours track-side. I made this big batch of pasta and I'll keep it on ice all day. Just need to remember to pack the cups and spoons...
About the herbs: I used parsley and basil for this dish because (truth) that's what I had. If you only have parsley, use all parsley. If you only have basil, use all basil. If you have fresh oregano, add a little of that too (1-2 tablespoons is plenty; otherwise you might overpower the salad). No fresh herbs? No problem, add 1 teaspoon of dried herbs when you add the oregano to the vinaigrette (the dried herbs will come alive when they hit the warm pasta).
Orzo Pasta Salad with Olives, Capers and Feta
1 pound orzo pasta
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons honey mustard
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pint grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes
1 cup pitted Greek olives, halved
1/4 cup drained capers
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
Cook the orzo according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, honey mustard, oregano, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Add the warm pasta to the vinaigrette and toss to coat. Fold in the tomatoes, olives, capers, parsley, and basil. If necessary, season to taste with salt and pepper (remember, feta is a salty cheese).
When the pasta is no longer warm, fold in the feta.
Serve warm, room temperature or chilled.
Serves 4-6
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