Orzo Salad with Spinach Pesto, Olives, and Feta recipe
>Goes well with mustard glazed salmon. Serves 7 according to The Kitchen!
For the pesto:
200 grams baby spinach
1/3 cup walnuts
1/3 cup grated parmesan, lightly packed
1 to 2 garlic cloves
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
For the salad:
453 grams orzo pasta
175 feta cheese, crumbled
2/3 cup kalamata olives, pitted and roughly chopped
1 clove shallot, diced small
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
Salt and pepper
Instructions:
Layer about half the spinach into the bowl of a food processor or blender and disperse the walnuts, parmesan, cloves, lemon juice, and salt on top. Pulse until the ingredients are incorporated and the spinach is roughly chopped. Add the remaining spinach. With the motor running, stream 3 tablespoons of olive oil into the spinach until it is saucy. Scrape down the sides and give it a taste. Add more salt or lemon juice to taste. If you’d like a richer pesto, stream in the remaining tablespoon of olive oil.
Cook the orzo in boiling well-salted water until it is al dente, about 8 minutes. Strain and immediately combine with the pesto while the pasta is still warm. Add the feta, olives, shallots, and lemon juice to the pasta and stir gently to combine. Taste, and add more salt, pepper, or lemon juice as needed.
Let the salad cool and then refrigerate for up to a week. The flavors improve by the second day.
