A mouth-watering pasta salad recipe without mayonnaise or any other creamy dressing. Refreshing with a salty kick of feta cheese and a garlicky oregano sauce. I got a lot of compliments when I brought it along to an outdoor party with friends in Miami. I made sure to drain the orzo pasta thoroughly, spreading it on paper towels. This resulted in a pasta salad that did not clump together but was light and airy.
Yield: 4 servings
Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
Salad:
- 1/2 lb (225 g) orzo pasta
- 1 lb (450 g) large shrimps, peeled and deveined
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup (115 g) feta cheese cubed
- 1 medium English cucumber, seed and cubed
- 1 medium-size tomato, seeded and cubed
Garlicky Oregano Sauce:
- 1/2 cup (14 g) fresh oregano leaves
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
- 3 Tbsp lemon juice or to taste
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Preparation:
Bring water to a boil in a saucepan. Add salt and orzo. Stir to separate grains. Cook for about 10 minutes or until orzo is ” al dente”. Add shrimps and cook just until shrimps are pink about 2-3 minutes longer. Drain orzo and shrimps well to remove as much water as you can. Pour orzo and shrimps into a bowl and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Set aside.
While the orzo is cooking prepare the oregano sauce. Blend all ingredients for the sauce in a food mill. Season with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over orzo and shrimps. Stir it well to coat all grains. Just before serving add feta cheese, cucumber and tomato cubes. Adjust seasoning to your liking.
