Orzo Pasta Salad With Grilled Confetti Vegetables And Feta

Total Time: 35 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 3 cups orzo pasta or 3 cups bow tie pasta
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon peel
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 small zucchini, sliced lengthwise into 1/2-inch (1 cm)
• 2 yellow peppers, quartered
• 3 large ears of corn, husked and wrapped in tinfoil
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise
• 1 1/2 cups feta cheese, crumbled
• 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
• 1/2 cup basil leaves, torn

Recipe

• 1 in a large pot, bring about 4 cups of salted water to a boil. add orzo pasta and cook according to package directions, about 6-8 minutes, until al dente (firm to the bite). drain and rinse under cold water. let orzo sit in colander to drain well. transfer to a large bowl and toss with about 2 tsp (5 ml) olive oil to prevent sticking. set aside.
• 2 in a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, oregano, lemon juice, lemon peel, salt and pepper until well combined. set aside.
• 3 preheat a barbeque or grill to medium-high heat. brush zucchini strips and yellow pepper with a little olive oil. place these, along with corn, on barbeque and grill for 4-5 minutes on each side until grill marks appear and vegetables are tender. remove and set aside on a baking tray to cool. once cool, cut the kernels off of the corn husks (there should be about 2 cups) and chop the zucchini and yellow peppers into ½-inch (1 cm) pieces.
• 4 to the orzo pasta, add the zucchini, yellow pepper, corn, cherry tomatoes, feta and pine nuts. drizzle over lemon vinaigrette and toss gently to combine. garnish with torn basil leaves.
• 5 in a hurry? chop zucchini and yellow pepper into ½-inch dice. place in large bowl along with cherry tomatoes and 1 cup corn (canned). toss with 1 tbsp olive oil and season the vegetables with salt and pepper. spread evenly onto a baking sheet. bake until lightly browned, about 10 to 15 minutes. set aside and let cool to room temperature and then toss with orzo salad as above.