Orzo with Everything Salad

By aamundson

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups orzo (rice-shaped pasta; about 10 ounces)
• 1/3 cup (packed) chopped drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup (packed) chopped Kalamata olives or other brine-cured black olives
• 1 cup finely chopped radicchio (about 1 small head)
• 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced

Preparation

Step 1

Cook orzo in pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain well. Transfer to large bowl. Add sun-dried tomatoes, oil, vinegar and olives and toss to blend. Let stand until cool. (Can be prepared 6 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before continuing.)
Mix chopped radicchio, pine nuts, chopped basil, Parmesan and garlic into orzo mixture. Season salad to taste with salt and pepper and serve.
Modifications:
Substitute chopped red cabbage if you don’t like the bitterness (or price) of radicchio, or substitute arugula or spinach. Or soak the radicchio in cold water (for 15 mins) with lemon juice to cut the bitterness and enhance the color. Or just omit it altogether – won’t be missed.
Substitute white balsamic if you don’t want your orzo the muddy brown color of regular balsamic
Substitute feta instead of Parmesan, or use both. Feta compliments the flavors very well.
Garlic powder is not as strong as minced fresh garlic
Add chopped artichoke hearts; chopped red/orange/yellow bell pepper; cucumber; lemon zest; capers –whatever you want – very versatile recipe
Substitute quartered cocktail tomatoes for the sun-dried, or use both. I used the ones from the olive bar at King Soopers (Murray’s) but I had to remove the skins; they are milder than the regular sun dried tomatoes in a jar or bag – I think they are roasted. And I also used quartered grape tomatoes.
You can omit the cheese for a vegan version. You can add chopped or shredded grilled chicken or shrimp for a complete meal.