Potluck Orzo Pasta Salad Recipes

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook orzo in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until tender yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.
• Add pesto and lemon juice to the orzo; toss to coat. Mix in tomatoes, mozzarella cheese balls, and pepperoni strips. Refrigerate for 8 hours to overnight.
• Mix in basil right before serving.

Steps:

• Cook orzo in 6-8 qt pot of boiling water according to pkg directions (7-9 minutes) Drain and rinse with cold water; drain well.
• Toss in large bowl with 1 1/2 T olive oil.
• Add chopped vegetables, beans, and olives In separate small bowl, combine olive juice, sesame oil, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, oregano, dill weed, mustard and curry.
• Gradually whisk in remaining 1/2 cup olive oil.
• Add salt and ground pepper to taste.
• Add dressing to orzo mixture and blend well.
• At this point taste the salad, and add more of whatever you prefer (I added more dijon).
• Toast pine nuts on a cookie sheet in a 350 degree oven for 5-10 minutes.
• Sprinkle on top of salad just before serving.
• Can be made 1 day ahead.
• Makes approximately 10 cups.

Steps:

• Pour the broth into a heavy large saucepan. Cover the pan and bring the broth to a boil over high heat. Stir in the orzo. Cover partially and cook until the orzo is tender but still firm to the bite, stirring frequently, about 7 minutes. Drain the orzo through a strainer. Transfer the orzo to a large wide bowl and toss until the orzo cools slightly. Set aside to cool completely.
• Toss the orzo with the beans, tomatoes, onion, basil, mint, and enough vinaigrette to coat. Season the salad, to taste, with salt and pepper, and serve at room temperature.
• Mix the vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper in a blender. With the machine running, gradually blend in the oil. Season the vinaigrette, to taste, with more salt and pepper, if desired.
• Yield: 1 3/4 cups

Steps:

• Cook orzo in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta, pressing out excess liquid. Spread out on a baking sheet to cool.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Add onion, bell peppers and thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomato and cook, stirring occasionally, until broken down and juices release, about 8 minutes.
• Add the reserved pasta water and stir to scrape up any browned bits at the bottom of the skillet. Transfer vegetable mixture to a large bowl to cool slightly to lukewarm, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to speed up the cooling process. Discard thyme sprig.
• Add cooled orzo, lemon juice, basil and cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix well, then transfer to a large serving bowl or platter. Garnish with more basil.