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Summer pasta salad recipe
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- Cuisine: Greek
- Prep Time: 20 min(s)
- Cook Time: 10 min(s)
- Serves 4
While it looks like rice, orzo, risoni or "kritharaki" in Greek, (meaning little barley) is a form of pasta in the shape of large grains of rice. Here Greek cook and author Maria Benardis shares a fresh and easy summer salad using kritharaki.
Pasta has its origins in Asia and then it spread to Europe including Greece. Greece has many pasta based dishes and risoni is one of the many varieties widely used in Greece.
In Greek cookery it is often added to soups, baked dishes cooked in a “youvetsi” (clay pot), or braised dishes.
Traditionally you will not see kritharaki in salads; however this is how I enjoy this pasta in the summer months.
I sometimes use kritharaki instead of rice in my “gemista” (stuffed vegetables).
Ingredients
1 cup (250g) orzo/risoni pasta50ml extra virgin olive oil
50g fetta, crumbled
½ cup yellow capsicum, finely cubed
2 tbsp finely chopped sundried tomatoes in olive oil
1 cup baby spinach, chopped
12 kalamata olives, pitted, roughly chopped
½ small red onion, finely chopped
10 fresh basil leaves, finely sliced
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
¼ tsp dry wild oregano
Salt and cracked pepper, to taste
2 fresh basil leaves, finely sliced, to garnish
Extra virgin olive oil, to garnish
Preparation
Bring some salted water to the boil and add the orzo pasta. Cook according to packet instructions.Drain the pasta well and transfer to a large bowl. Add the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Mix well.
Let the pasta cool down for 10–15 minutes.
Add all the remaining ingredients and mix well. Season with salt and cracked pepper.
Transfer to a serving platter and garnish with some basil and a drizzle of extra olive oil.
©2012 Maria Benardis
If you enjoyed this Summer pasta salad recipe then browse more Greek recipes, salad recipes, pasta recipes, greek radio recipes, easy recipes, egg-free recipes and our most popular hainanese chicken rice recipe.
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