Description
I had just made pesto when I saw this recipe. This recipe is easy and it sure gave us a lot of leftovers! I served this with grilled vegetables and it was delicious. Enjoy!
Ingredients
For the Orzo Salad
- 2 cups dry orzo, prepared according to package directions
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
- ½ cup Basil Pesto
- 2 Tbsp. drained capers
- 2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 tsp. white wine vinegar
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup fresh chopped parsley
- 1 shallot, minced
- Salt & pepper (to taste)
- Garlic powder (to taste)
For the Basil Pesto (adapted from The Joy of Cooking)
- 4 cups of basil leaves (lightly packed)
- 1/3 cup of pignoli nuts
- 2 garlic cloves or more (depends how much garlic you like)
- 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Instructions
To Make the Basil Pesto
- Put the basil leaves, pignoli nuts and garlic in the food processor bowl. You can also use a blender.
- With the food process running, drizzle the olive oil into the mixture. The mixture should be a thick paste. (I like it a little looser, but I will add butter and a little pasta water to the pasta at the end.)
- If you are freezing the pesto add the parmesan cheese when you take it out of the freezer. I find the cheese will melt better when you put it on the pasta that day.
To Make the Orzo Salad
- Roughly chop the tomatoes and capers, and toss them in a bowl with the cooked orzo, parsley, and shallot. Add in the olive oil, pesto and vinegar and toss to combine.
- Top with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Enjoy!
