Greek Orzo Pasta Salad

My husband and I each take our lunches with us almost everyday, him to work and me to grad school. Not only is it less expensive to pack lunches, but it's a lot healthier (and tastier) than eating out as long as you pack the right things. I discovered early on in our marriage that the best way to ensure that we each had delicious, filling lunches that would rival anything at a restaurant was to spend some time in advance doing some lunch preparation. So I started spending an hour or so every Sunday after church prepping our lunchtime vegetables and making a grab-and-go main course option. Then, every week night while we're cooking dinner or cleaning up, we assemble our lunches for the next day. Having components in the fridge ready to go makes it a snap!

Pasta salads are one of my top choices for packed lunches as they are good served hot or cold, are customizable, and can be quite filling depending on the ingredients. I love that I can make a big batch to eat from throughout the week. This Greek-inspired dish was born out of the need to finish some random ingredients taking up space in my fridge such as a jar of sun-dried tomatoes and Kalamata olives that I used in a recent dinner, Pantry Pasta for Two. Each bite is a little different, and the sweet tang of lemon and tomatoes coupled with the bite of olives and the rich flavor of feta cheese is incredible. You'll have to try it to believe it, but one bite and you'll be hooked. It's like a trip to the Greek Isles without every leaving your lunchbox! Not that I've ever been... (hint, hint husband!) I'm not sure this is a super kid-friendly dish depending on picky eaters' palates, but I think it'd be great for girls' lunches or family gatherings. Enjoy!

Greek Orzo Pasta Salad [adapted from Allrecipes.com]

Ingredients:

• 1 cup orzo pasta, uncooked (or any small pasta)
• 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (I used the oil that my tomatoes were packed in for extra flava!)
• zest of 1 large lemon (maybe a couple tablespoons?)
• juice of 1 large lemon (perhaps 1/4-1/3 cup?)
• 1/3 cup Kalamata olives, chopped
• 1/3 cup spinach leaves, torn and packed
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup pasta water, reserved

Directions:

Prepare orzo according to package directions. Before draining, be sure to reserve 1/2 cup pasta water. If you're like me and don't have a fine strainer, place a (unused) coffee filter inside your regular strainer. Then drain your pasta carefully so as not to tear the coffee filter and spoon the pasta into a medium bowl. Immediately stir in sun-dried tomatoes, olive oil, olives, lemon zest, spinach, and parsley. Mix gently to combine, then add lemon juice. Add feta cheese after a minute or so to let the pasta cool off (unless you don't mind melted feta cheese). If needed, incorporate a little pasta water to make sure everything is fully coated, especially if you'll be storing the salad for more than a day, as the sauce tends to be absorbed by the noodles over time. I used about 2-3 teaspoons of water. Season with black pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

Be sure to check out more of my recipes at The Pajama Chef! Have a great Thursday!

Pin It