Orzo Salad

Yield: 4 servings
Time: 30 minutes

8 oz Orzo
1 ea Red bell pepper
4 oz Feta cheese (brick)
2 oz Kalamata olives (pitted)
4 tbsp Basil, fresh (10-20 leaves)
kosher salt (to taste)
fresh ground black pepper (to taste)
olive oil

Directions

Coat pepper with oil. Roast (either on grill or in oven), sweat, peel & seed pepper. Chop into ½” dice. Bring 2-3 quarts of well salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until ‘al dente’; approximately 8-10 minutes. Once cooked, drain pasta immediately and rinse thoroughly with cold water to stop cooking and cool pasta. Drain thoroughly and set aside. Cut feta cheese into ½” cubes. Slice olives into 1/8” rings or quarter lengthwise. Cut basil into chiffonade. In a bowl, mix pasta, bell peppers, olive slices and basil together. Drizzle 4 oz. of dressing (recipe follows) over pasta salad and mix well to coat. Salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with small basil leaves, roasted red pepper julienne, and/or whole olive.

Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

Yield: 4 oz.

6 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar
Salt & Pepper (to taste) 

Add oil and vinegar into a bowl or sealable container and whisk or shake until well incorporated. Salt and pepper to taste. Let rest. Re-agitate mixture before dressing salad.