Name: Orzo with Everything
Total time: 50 min
Cuisine: ItalianEurope
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon salt; 1 pound orzo; 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes , rinsed, patted dry, and minced; 1/2 cup pitted kalmata olives , halved; 1 head radicchio , cored and chopped fine; 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese; 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted; 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil; 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar; 2 garlic cloves , minced; 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; Salt and pepper

Why This Recipe Works

In this Orzo with Everything recipe, we boost the wonderful flavor of orzo with ingredients like sun-dried tomatoes, kalamata olives, and pine nuts. Toasting the pine nuts made them taste nuttier, as long as we watched them closely to ensure they didn’t burn. Pitting the olives was made easier by placing them on a cutting board and holding the flat edge of a large knife over them. We carefully hit the blade with a fist to smash the olives, and separate the pit from the olive meat with our fingers.

Instructions

For the salad: Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot over high heat. Add salt and orzo to boiling water and cook until just al dente. Drain pasta and let cool to room temperature. Combine cooled orzo, tomatoes, olives, radicchio, Parmesan, pine nuts, and basil in large bowl.

For the dressing: Combine vinegar and minced garlic in medium bowl. Gradually whisk in oil. Drizzle dressing over salad and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Serve. (Salad can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)