Orzo with Grilled Vegetables & Feta

I love the silky smooth texture of orzo (barley in Italian). Orzo looks like rice but is actually pasta. The artichokes and feta really help to pull all the ingredients together and not one seems to stand out more than the other. There are many recipes out there using orzo. This recipe is one I concocted a while ago as I had some of these ingredients on hand and wanted to use them in one dish. Everything is approximate so feel free to experiment with your favorite vegetables and herbs.

Serves 6

500g orzo
1 red bell pepper
1 large zucchini, cut into large slices (lengthways)
280g marinated artichoke hearts in olive oil, thickly sliced
100g of asparagus
1 avocado, peeled and chopped into chunks
50g feta cheese (or more if you like)
1/4 cup fresh coriander leaves, chopped (can also use parsley)
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced

Dressing
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons mustard
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1-2 tablespoons honey

Cook orzo according to packet instructions. Drain orzo and rinse under cold water to stop the pasta from cooking further and to also cool to room temperature. In the meantime chargrill pepper until blackened. Remove and place in a plastic bag. Remove skin once pepper has cooled to room temperature. Cut pepper into chunks and place in a large bowl along with the minced garlic and artichoke hearts. Grill zucchini and asparagus. Remove from grill once cooked. Chop asparagus and zucchini into chunks and toss with bell pepper.

Combine all the dressing ingredients in a jar with a screw top and shake until well combined. Add basil and coriander to the vegetable mixture and toss to combine. Add orzo, avocado and feta to the mixture and toss again. Then add the dressing and combine until dressing is evenly distributed. Serve at room temperature.

The Culinary Chase’s Note: Feel free to add more herbs as you like. The addition of Kalamata olives is another favorite of mine. When making the dressing, taste after you’ve added one tablespoon of honey and adjust accordingly. You may not want to use 280g of artichokes as I felt that was too much but you be the judge. Enjoy!