Recipe: [ Ссылка ]
This delicious and light vegetarian cold orzo pasta recipe is tossed with tangy lemon juice, fresh dill, crunchy diced cucumbers, and savory and salty Feta cheese.
Lemon dill orzo pasta is very addicting and perfect Greek inspired side dish for a picnic, potluck, or large gathering. Serve this fresh cold lemon orzo salad recipe with something light like gazpacho, pickled shrimp, or a simple grilled or pan fried piece of chicken.
Parmesan cheese is pictured with this orzo pasta recipe but it's even better with feta cheese. And, even better with both cheeses! Vegans leave out cheese or substitute dairy free cheese.
This looks like a lot of orzo pasta salad when it's finished but it goes down easy! Serve lemon orzo pasta as a side dish or top it off with seared scallops and make it a main dish.
What is Orzo? Is Orzo Rice?
Orzo often gets confused with arborio rice which is used for risotta. But orzo, is a pasta, like spaghetti, macaroni, fusilli, etc... It's just a tiny shape that looks like short grain rice.
Orzo is a small pasta and reminds me of spring. It isn't able to soak up alot of sauce like marinara does for spaghetti so lighter or more delicate flavors work best for cold orzo salads (like olive oil and citrus). It is also very good in soups.
So having said all that! Orzo is pasta not rice. It has gluten which rice does not. But, it can be interchangeable with a lot of cold rice salad recipes since they are the same size and a similar texture.
Tips for Making Lemon Dill Orzo Pasta with Feta Cheese
Cook the orzo first, strain and add the olive oil and lemon juice mixture immediately. Keep stirring it or it will clump together.
Pro - tip: Speed the cooling process along by rinsing the cooked orzo in cold water in a strainer before adding the lemon and olive oil mixture.
Do not add remaining ingredients until orzo is cool because the cucumbers will get soggy and the herbs will wilt. We're looking for a fresh, bright, vibrant, and crunchy lemon orzo salad!
The cucumbers need to be seeded because the water released from them will also make the orzo salad soggy.
Pro - tip: Seed the cucumbers and put the seeds in a pitcher and fill with water and keep it in the fridge. Use a small strainer over your glass when pouring a refreshing cup of cucumber water and throw the seeds back in the pitcher a couple times to maximize getting the most cups out of the cucumber water.
Cold Lemon Dill Orzo with Feta FAQS
How is orzo different than pasta?
Orzo is not different than pasta. It is tiny pasta that resembles rice. Many people confuse it with arborio rice, which is used to make risotto. Orzo has gluten like all wheat pastas. Rice is gluten free.
Can I substitute orzo for rice and vice versa?
Yes, usually. Orzo and Rice can be substituted in nearly all COLD rice or orzo recipes. I have eaten this orzo feta salad recipe with rice substituted for the orzo but rice does get soggier than orzo so don't make it in advance. Do make sure that the rice is cooled before adding any of the other ingredients.
Serves 8
Ingredients
• 1 lb orzo
• ⅔ cup (~ 4-5 lemons) lemon juice
• ⅔ cup olive oil
• 1 ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1 large cucumber, seeded & diced
• ½ cup red onion, thinly diced
• 1 ½ cup green onions, sliced
• ¾ cup dill, chopped
• ¾ cup parsley, chopped
• ½ lb feta cheese - optional as garnish
Instructions
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add orzo and cook 8-10 minutes or until desired doneness. Drain and place in a large bowl.
• Mix olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
• Toss mixture with orzo and place in refrigerator to cool, stirring occasionally, so it doesn't stick.
• When cool, mix in remaining ingredients, except feta cheese.
• Add salt to taste and top with feta cheese. Happy Eating! Beckie
