Easy Orzo Salad

My favorite living situation ever was the year I spent in a garden-level apartment in downtown Royal Oak, Michigan. The building was a New York-style brick three-level with two apartments on each level – very old school. My friend Sarah lived in the apartment across from mine, and we spent our free time visiting each other and frequenting all the great cafes and eateries that were within walking distance. Our favorite restaurant, Pronto, was literally around the corner.

Pronto is where I first tried orzo pasta, which is slightly larger than the rice-shaped vermicelli. Pronto’s orzo pasta salad became one of my favorite dishes, but when I relocated to Chicago, I mourned the loss of orzo pasta from my diet – until the day I happened upon a bag of it in the grocery store. I wanted a quick side salad to go with a meal, and picked up just a handful of other things to add to it: pesto, freshly grated parmesan, grape tomatoes, raw pine nuts (pignolis), and sliced black olives.

Ideally, of course, I make my own pesto, but when it’s not summer and the farmers’ market is closed, I’m not about to pay grocery store prices for the quantity of basil that a good batch of pesto requires. And of course, grocery store basil never tastes freshly picked. So unless it’s July or August, I settle for pesto in a jar (I like Classico – look for it near the pasta sauce).

I like orzo because of its size and texture – it kind of rolls around on your tongue – but some people dislike it for exactly those reasons. If you’re not a fan of tiny, slippery things, simply use a different noodle of your choice in this salad. The flavors will be the same. I serve this alongside burgers, grilled chicken, anything that needs a flavorful accompaniment.

Easy Orzo Salad

8 ounces orzo pasta
1/2 cup prepared pesto
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
4-6 ounce can sliced black olives, drained
1/2 cup raw pine nuts
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan (not the kind in the plastic container – if you’re not willing to use fresh, leave it out)

Bring 2 quarts water to a boil; add the pasta and cook eight minutes. Pour into a colander, and rinse under cold running water until cool. Drain. Toss with remaining ingredients, and allow flavors to marry 1/2 to 1 hour before serving.