Orzo Salad with Dried Fruit and Toasted Pinenuts is one of my new favorite pasta salads. Let me tell you how I came up with this recipe.
My Mother had Thousands of Recipes
It has taken me over six months to go through all of my mother's recipes and cookbooks. It's been a journey of discovery and I have shed more than a few tears along the way. You see she was quite a paper saver, so when it came to recipes almost nothing she read went unsaved. Articles from magazines, hand-written recipes, and notes, and photocopied pages from various cookbooks made up dozens of recipe boxes, files, and folders.
I vowed to not throw anything away without looking at it first. I kept thinking I would find some hidden gem or the answer to something I had been pondering. What I have found is a mix of wonderful and thoughtful concoctions, many of which were my dad's. There are also snippets from food fads gone by and very weird ideas like Hot Dog Pie which I will not be trying!
The Origin of this Orzo Salad
One recipe in particular recently caught my eye. It was written in my mom's handwriting with a note (Wine Country Magazine - Korbel Deli 2011). Detailed on the card was a wonderful Orzo Pasta Salad with something I had never thought of in it, dried fruit. Along with some of my other pasta salad favorites like feta cheese, pine nuts, and fresh basil, I immediately set out to make my own version.
The original recipe called for a mix of dried apricots and golden raisins. I thought of the dried mandarins we love from Trader Joe's and decided this would be a perfect stand-in for the apricots. The original recipe also called for chopped preserved lemons. I didn't have preserved lemons but did have a wonderful Sicilian Lemon White Balsamic Vinegar from our favorite local oil and vinegar shop, Amphora Nueva. So that became the base of the dressing along with their Garlic Infused Olive Oil instead of the fresh garlic the recipe originally called for. I left in the feta cheese, toasted pinenuts, and basil and threw in fresh chopped chives.
I learned a great tip from the fabulous Ina Garten watching one of her shows recently. When making pasta salad, add the dressing while the pasta is still warm. This way it will get well absorbed into the pasta. This step makes all the difference in the world.
I served this salad as part of our Super Bowl spread and it was a big hit. And while our home team, didn't win, we sure did with this tasty salad!
For more great salad options go to Finding Caroly Salads.
Orzo Salad with Feta, Pine Nuts, Dried Mandarines, and Lemony Vinaigrette
Equipment
- 1 medium-sized pot
- 1 colander
- 1 medium-sized mixing bowl
- 1 Mason jar with lid
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 8 oz. dried orzo pasta
- ½ cup toasted pine nuts See notes
- ½ cup finely chopped dried tangerines or apricots
- ½ cup yellow raisins
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
- ¼ cup chifonade fresh basil
- ¼ cup chopped fresh chives
For the Dressing
- ½ c. lemon-infused white balsamic vinegar See the link in post
- ½ c. garlic olive oil See the link in the post
- 2 T. plain white balsamic vinegar
- 1 T. Dijon mustard
- ½ t. salt
- ½ t. black pepper
Instructions
- In a medium-sized pot bring add 3-4 quarts of water. Season liberally with salt and bring to a boil. Add the orzo and cook until just done per the package approximately 8-9 minutes.
- While the pasta is boiling make the dressing. In a 2 c. mason jar or other jar with a lid, add all of the dressing ingredients. Screw the lid on tightly and shake vigorously for a few minutes to emulsify and make sure everything is combined. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. (This is where I added in the extra plain white balsamic as it was initially a tad too sweet.)
- When the pasta is done drain in a colander then pour into your medium-sized mixing bowl. Add half the dressing to the warm pasta and stir well allowing the dressing to soak into the pasta. Once mixed in add the other pasta ingredients and stir well to combine.
- Place the salad in the refrigerator for a few hours covered loosely so it can cool. Right before serving, add a little more of the dressing a few tablespoons at a time until it is your desired consistency. Taste one more time for seasoning. (I added a few extra grinds of black pepper at this point.) Garnish with a little extra crumbled feta and and few basil sprigs.
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