Greek Pasta Salad with Orzo

Greek food?  Lately I’ve been obsessed with it.  Could it be all those gorgeous tomatoes sitting on the window sill?  So today’s Aegean-inspired recipe is a Greek Pasta Salad bearing the last of fall’s tomatoes and cucumbers. 

Greek Pasta Salad

But before I start, I must confess a deep dark secret (shhh). I am a die hard pasta salad hater, one of a tiny minority.  I’d sooner eat store bought white bread.  Plain.  

Greek Pasta Salad Served

But since I was thinking Greek, the thought crossed my mind—what if I tried a pasta salad using the Greek pasta orzo?  Orzo is small, almost rice-like—and could be engulfed in flavor in the right mix, right?  

Um, yes! 

Ugly tomato

I mixed a combo of tomato, feta, cucumber, Kalamata olives, plus a homemade Greek salad dressing to liven things up.  My tomatoes were orange because the orange tomatoes I had were scarred and going fast. 

No orange heirlooms?  Feel free to use any tomato you like–or to mix in other ingredients.  I forgot to add red onion and was this close to adding julienned spinach.  So go wild.  

Greek Pasta Salad ingredients

The one crazy thing I did was to add a bit of anchovy paste.  The salad seemed to need a little more punch—and the Greek salads I grew up eating had anchovies, so I

Greek Pasta Salad Closeup

unami-ed it up a bit. I was pretty sure I could sneak this in and no one would be the wiser (just happier).  If anchovies aren’t your thing, you might achieve the same with a spoonful of miso paste. 

Of course this salad did set my mind wandering. Fall is beautiful and I love the harvest.  But a friend recently posted Facebook pictures of her vacation (currently in Greece)—and the combo carried my thoughts off to clear blue seas and warm sandy beaches.  Perhaps I’ll have to curl up in bed with a nice episode of New Scandinavian Cooking as a counterpoint!

Greek Pasta Salad

Greek Pasta Salad is the perfect finale for fall's tomatoes and cucumbers--along with some orzo, feta and kalamata olives.

Author: Inger

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Greek

Servings 6

Calories 177 kcal

Ingredients

  

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Dressing

• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or 1 clove fresh garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 3 Tablespoons lemon juice approximate, from 1 large lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil Greek if you have it
• 1 teaspoon anchovy paste or 1 mashed anchovy fillet, or white miso to taste, or omit

Salad

• 1/2 orzo pasta whole wheat if you can find it
• 2 tomatoes large, cubed and drained (about 2 cups)
• 1 cup cucumber cubes about ½ English cucumber or 1 large regular
• 4 ounces feta cheese cubed
• 1/4 cup Kalamata olives chopped

Instructions

 

• Prepare pasta according to package directions. When done drain and rinse to cool.
• Mix dressing ingredients in a bowl and whisk until well blended.
• Combine chopped tomatoes, cucumbers and orzo in a salad bowl and toss with dressing. Top with olives and feta.

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Nutrition

Calories: 177kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 4gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 18mgSodium: 536mgPotassium: 132mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 448IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 107mgIron: 0.5mg

I am not a health professional and nutrition data is calculated programatically. Accuracy may vary with product selection, calculator accuracy, etc. Consult a professional for the best information.

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