Orzo & Sun-Dried Tomato Salad

This pasta salad is a nice side dish for any Italian-style meal.  I think it goes especially well with a sandwich with Italian flavorings.  I recently made this to take for a reception following a funeral.  This dish travels well.

I found this recipe in my August/September 2012 issue of Taste of Home.  The first time I made this salad, we decided that it needed more sun-dried tomatoes, so I doubled the amount this time and I feel it was the perfect amount.  As I took this dish to a reception, my guys did not get to rate it, so you'll have to take my word that this is a tasty salad!

I began by cooking the orzo, which is a rice shaped pasta, in chicken stock in a large saucepan according to the package directions.  I didn't drain the pasta immediately, as I needed it to stop cooking and cool down right away.  What I did instead was place the pan in the sink an slowly run cold water into the pasta.  I would stir the pasta every so often to make sure it wasn't sticking together and to help the cold water to circulate around each piece to aid in cooling.  Once cool, I drained the pasta thoroughly.

I then placed the pasta in a large bowl and added to it the diced sun-dried tomatoes (I took time to chop them finely while the pasta was cooking), the oil, garlic, garbanzo beans, and seasonings.  I then tossed all of these ingredients together to combine.

Then I added the freshly grated Parmesan cheese, fresh basil, and feta cheese.  I used a tomato and basil feta, feeling the flavored cheese would go best with this dish.

This dish looks very inviting with the bright colors of the basil and sun-dried tomatoes.

Because I was taking this dish to a function, I dressed up the bowl by lining it with some leafy green lettuce leaves that I washed and dried.

It sure does make a pretty presentation.  I think it looks good enough to eat!  Enjoy!

Orzo & Sun-Dried Tomato Salad

49 oz. chicken broth

1 pkg. (16 oz.) orzo pasta

1/2 cup chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes plus 4 tsp. oil from the jar

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

4 large fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

1 can (8.75 oz.) garbanzo beans

1 pkg. (4 oz.) crumbled feta cheese

In a large saucepan, bring broth to a boil.  Stir in orzo; return to a boil.  Cook for 8 - 10 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.  Drain orzo; transfer to a large bowl.  Stir in the tomatoes, oil from sun-dried tomatoes, garbanzo beans, garlic, salt and pepper; cool completely.  Add Parmesan cheese, basil, and feta cheese; toss to combine.  Cover and refrigerate until serving time.