ORZO WITH SPINACH AND TOMATOES

By MaryEllen

Debe Winkler brought this to a pot luck. I think it's the same recipe Ellie Castleberry brought to Tina & Maria's one time. Very nice salad.

Ingredients

• 1/2 (7 oz) package of spinach, washed, dried, stems removed
• 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 lemons, zested
• 1/2 box of orzo cooked
• EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) to taste
• salt and pepper to taste
• Feta cheese crumbles if desired

Preparation

Step 1

Pile spinach leaves in stacks on top of each other and slick thinly to make spinach confetti. Pile spinach into the bottom of a medium size mixing bowl. Halve tomatoes and add them to the mixing bowl. Add the zest of 2 lemons to the bowl.

Have all of the above done before cooking orzo. As soon as orzo is cooked (do not overcook) drain and pour hot orzo over spinach/tomato mix. Let sit to a minute and then mix all together. The heat from the orzo will wilt the spinach. Drizzle EVOO over dish and add salt and pepper to taste.

Let the mix sit in the refrigerator for an hour or so to cool down and allow the flavors to blend. I then added feta cheese crumbles just before serving...just because. This wasn't part of the actual recipe.