On Saturday night, we met up with Thatmom and her boyfriend for dinner. We headed to Thatmom's favorite pizza joint here in San Diego. She's a creature of habit. When we dine together in San Diego it's at one of two places, depending on whether we're having breakfast or dinner.
It's nice to have a staple though, something that you can count on. Especially when it comes to food. There's something comforting about a reliable dish that you know you'll enjoy. As I said before, for me that's pasta salads in the summer. I really think I make about one a week.
Really, the only way to eat pasta in the summer is salad style. It's too warm for a hot and heavy alfredo or ragu. Plus, eating it cold means you can mix in fresh herbs, which taste their best in the summer. Horse Whisperer gave us a lovely homecoming gift that included a basil plant, so I'm making the most of it.
Feta is another one of my summer staples. I love it mixed with sweet watermelon, or tossed in with a green salad, or in this case pasta salad. Something about the saltiness just tastes like summer to me.
Arugula Feta, and Cherry Pasta Salad
8 oz orzo
1/4 cup olive oil, divided
1 cup arugula
4 oz feta
1/4 cup dried cherries
1/4 cup basil, chiffonade
2 Tbsp pine nuts
juice of half a lemon
salt and pepper
- Cook orzo according to package directions. Drain and cool.
- Combine the remaining ingredients in a large bowl.
- Add orzo to bowl, tossing to coat in the olive oil.
This looks absolutely divine! I have never cooked with orzo before, but this looks like a good enough excuse to try it!For the sake of saving some money though, could you potentially swap it for rice? Your blog is great by the way! Gonna have a dive into the archive now ^ ^ Have a great weekend! x
ReplyDeleteI am loving this salad! Perfect for summer.
ReplyDeleteVelva
You and I are totally in accord when it comes to summer pasta! This is my kind of salad.
ReplyDelete