Description
This Greek orzo is sunshine in a bowl! Bright lemon, fragrant herbs, and perfectly cooked pasta create a Mediterranean escape that’s ready in minutes but tastes like you spent all day.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1½ cups (300g) dried orzo pasta
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- Zest of 2 lemons
- ¼ cup (60ml) fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup (20g) fresh dill, chopped
- ½ cup (20g) fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
- ½ cup (75g) crumbled feta cheese
- ⅓ cup (40g) Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
- 1 cup (150g) cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 small cucumber, diced (about 1 cup)
- ½ red onion, finely diced
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add orzo and cook until al dente, about 8-9 minutes. Drain but do not rinse.
- Transfer hot orzo to a large bowl with 1 tablespoon olive oil and toss to prevent sticking. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.
- Add minced garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil to the warm orzo. Season with salt, pepper, and optional red pepper flakes.
- Fold in half of the chopped herbs and let rest for 5 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
- Add cucumber, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and Kalamata olives, gently mixing to combine.
- Just before serving, fold in crumbled feta and remaining fresh herbs. Adjust seasonings to taste.
- Let rest for 15 minutes at room temperature before serving for best flavor, or refrigerate for at least 1 hour if serving cold.