Caprese Orzo Salad for a taste of summer

As much as I love Fall and all the delicious, warming foods that come with it, this week I wasn’t quite ready to let go of summer. Nothing quite wraps the taste of warm summer nights, casual dinners and fading sunshine like the classic combination of pasta, tomatoes, basil and mozzarella in this Caprese Orzo Salad.

This week got away for me. As busy as I am – working from home, blogging, my family, my riding, working out, keeping the house clean, volunteering – I depend on my schedule to keep things organized and happening on time. I’ve evolved some pretty effective systems that keep things running smoothly for the most part. But sometimes weeks like this happen – all sorts of unexpected speed bumps pop up and I’m too busy putting out fires to worry about staying on track. My instinct is to obsessively worry about the things that aren’t getting done and pull an all-nighter to catch up. But slowly, day by day, I’m learning to simply prioritize and be honest with myself about how much I can get done and what will have to wait for another day.

Part of this week’s busy schedule was an Ice Cream party for the families in my husband’s unit. In addition to the creamy treats, we’re providing sandwiches and some sides so I offered to make a light pasta salad for those in more of a lunch frame of mind. This recipe was a perfect fit – light enough for a side but satisfying on it’s own. Although the days are getting shorter, the temperature here in Central Texas still hovers in the 90s so we can hang on to the taste of summer just a little bit longer.

Caprese Orzo Salad

Ingredients

1 package Orzo (1 lb)

1 1/2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

1 1/2 cups mozzarella pearls (the very small balls)

fresh basil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 tbsp honey

1/2 cup avocado oil

salt and pepper, to taste

method

1. Prepare orzo according to package directions.
2. While orzo is cooking, in a small bowl whisk together vinegar, honey and avocado.
3. Drain pasta and return to pot or bowl to cool.
4. Add halved tomatoes and add to orzo.
5. Thinly slice a handful of basil and genltly stir into pasta with the mozzarella.
6. Chill for at least two hours before serving.
7. Adjust your salt and pepper seasonings before serving.

 

Oh so simple and delicious, this recipe works perfectly for dinner paired with grilled or baked chicken, my staple spicy shrimp or really anything else. Even better, it only gets better as it sits in the fridge so go on and make it ahead of time or hold on to the leftovers for work tomorrow. The amount above will feed a family four + leftovers for dinner.