My sister bought this ginormous bag of baby spinach the other day and we didn't think we could finish it by just making salads alone... so she made this orzo pasta salad. Yum! Later we added some roasted chicken for some protein but it would be great with grilled shrimp too. This salad is really versatile with mix ins, so don't be afraid to add something new, most likely it will turn out to be delicious.
Spinach and Feta Orzo Salad
Yields: 4 - 6 servings
Slightly adapted from here and here.
1 lb. fresh spinach, washed and dried
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
2 medium tomatoes, diced
zest of 2 lemons
lemon juice, to taste
1 1/2 cups of orzo
24 basil leaves, torn
1 - 2 tbsn. olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
Pile the spinach leave on top of each other and julienne them into thin strips. Prepare the basil leaves the same way. In a large bowl, combine the spinach, lemon zest and chopped tomatoes. Cook the orzo according to the directions on the box. Once the pasta is drained, pour the hot pasta into the bowl with the spinach to allow it to wilt and the tomatoes to warm. Drizzle the olive oil on top and add the basil, salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste. Toss and eat immediately or refrigerate and eat later (it can be eaten warm or cold).
*** This would also be great with pine nuts, red onion, olives or whatever!
