mediterranean style orzo pasta salad

So, [my favorite place] Trader Joe's makes a Mediterranean Style Orzo Pasta Salad. It comes in a portioned container in the to-go salad area. I bought it once a lot time ago. It was good. I enjoyed it. But, as I was eating it, I thought about how I paid $4 for one, little portion and I could probably just make it myself. Since then, I never bought it again. Instead, I developed my own version that I like so much better.

When I make this, I can get everything I need at Trader Joe's so I am not quite sure what other stores/brands may carry. I have made this orzo salad with fewer ingredients but enjoy this combination the most. With every bite, there is a little bit of everything and it all goes together well. There is no meat in this dish, but the addition of garbanzo beans gives it the protein it needs.

Mediterranean Style Orzo Pasta Salad

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. orzo pasta

12 oz marinated artichokes, drained and roughly chopped (about 8.1oz drained)

12 oz. fire roasted red peppers, drained and diced (about 7.75 oz drained)

3/4 c. pitted and chopped kalamata olives

15.5 oz. can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups halved cherry tomatoes (I like the organic sugar plum tomatoes from TJ's)

1/4 c. balsamic vinaigrette dressing

1/2 tsp Kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

3 cups chopped fresh spinach

8 oz. block feta cheese, crumbled

DIRECTIONS

1. Cook orzo according to package instructions. I usually cut the cooking time down a minute so it is more al dente. Drain pasta and set aside. While the orzo is cooking, that is when I usually prep the rest of my ingredients- do any chopping as needed.

2. In a large serving bowl, add artichokes, roasted red peppers, kalamata olives, and garbanzo beans, Stir to combine. Add orzo to bowl and stir again to combine. Add halved cherry tomatoes and stir again. 

3. Add balsamic dressing, salt, and a few cracks of freshly ground black pepper. Mix everything well until all orzo is coated evenly with dressing. Do a quick taste to make sure you can taste the balsamic. Add a little more if necessary.

4. Fold in chopped spinach. And lastly gently fold in feta.

5. Refrigerate for at least 40 min to 1 hr to serve cold. Store leftovers in airtight container.

How to read this recipe [and other recipes]:  Recipes, as written, can be confusing. The most confusing part is, for example, knowing the difference between "3/4 cup chopped kalamata olives" and "3/4 cup kalamata olives, chopped". There is a difference. The first means that you should chop the kalamata olives first, then measure out 3/4 cup of the chopped olives for the recipe. The second, as stated, means to measure the whole kalamata olives first in a 3/4 cup and then chop them up. So, for this recipe, the kalamata olives, cherry tomatoes, and spinach should all be prepared first and then measured. Does that make sense? Hopefully, I explained that well enough. 

I detailed the steps of when to add each ingredient because the spinach and feta, in particular, can get demolished if you over-mix them in with everything else. The artichokes, roasted red peppers, kalamata olives, and garbanzo beans all come in jars/cans with their own juices. So, in my mind, I am accounting for those flavors first with the orzo and cherry tomatoes. Then combining in the balsamic, salt and pepper, it is really forming the flavor base of the pasta. That is part of the reason, I advise adjusting the seasoning before the spinach and feta are added, as well. Adding more balsamic after the feta is added may cause the feta to look more brown than it actually is. Just be aware, when you are adjusting the seasoning, account for the salty bite from the feta once that is folded in. Taste-wise, none of this really matters. But as far as presentation, this is why I make it as specifically outlined above. There is a method to the madness.

This recipe makes a large batch. Enough for multiple lunches/dinners/sides. As long as you store in an airtight container in the refrigerator, it holds up pretty well to last through the week. This is also a really great dish to bring to a potluck or share, because you can make it ahead of time and it is fairly quick to put together.

Pictured below are all the ingredients (minus the 8oz block of feta that was still in the refrigerator).