This plentiful and colourful salad has just the right ingredients to tempt the taste buds: pasta, protein-rich chickpeas, lots of fresh vegetables, briny olives and feta cheese, plus a tangy, lemony vinaigrette that envelops each ingredient in olive oil deliciousness. I used my best olive oil here, a robust Greek variety, perfect for this dish! No matter the weather, be it snow or heatwave, this salad fits the bill!
Here's how to put it together:
Ingredients:
1 cup of raw orzo pasta, cooked (it will average
two cups when cooked)
1 pound cherry tomatoes cut in half
1/2 of a long English cucumber, cut in half lengthwise and sliced
1/2 or 1 small red onion, diced. Alternately, use one diced shallot
1 yellow pepper diced (or half of one if the
pepper is too large)
1 small zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and sliced
1 15-ounce can of
chickpeas, drained
1/2 cup Kalamata olives or
sundried olives, or a combination thereof, pits removed and cut in half
1/2 cup feta cheese, cut into
cubes
2 tablespoons of fresh chopped
parsley
1 tablespoon of fresh chopped rosemary
1 tablespoon fresh chopped sage
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon of chopped mint
2 tablespoons grated Pecorino Romano cheese
2 cups arugula
For the
vinaigrette:
The juice of one lemon
1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup olive oil plus 1 tablespoon olive oil for the pasta
Mix all the ingredients except the olive oil. Next, while mixing, slowly add the olive oil to make an emulsified dressing.
Directions:
Mix the cooked pasta with about a tablespoon of olive oil and set it aside or cover it and place it temporarily in the refrigerator. For use in this salad, the pasta must be on the cold side so as not to steam the vegetables.
Into a large bowl, assemble all the ingredients except the cheeses and arugula.
Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss
gently until everything is well mixed.
Arrange the arugula on a serving platter and mix with the Pecorino Romano cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
Arrange the salad over the arugula and top it with the feta cheese.
