Beautiful Shrimp Orzo Salad

Looking for a winning salad for that family picnic, reunion or a fresh side during the heavy holidays? Look no more, this is it. This isn't your normal 'pasta' salad and yet the fresh herbs, lemon juice and shrimp round this out to make your taste buds jump for joy.

For this recipe, you will want fresh parsley and dill. Don't substitute with dried. I also use an English cucumber so I don't have to deseed it. If you use a regular cucumber, you will want to take the seeds out. It's a texture thing, trust me. Also, you will want really good feta. Don't go with the cheaper crumbles either. Spend the extra bit to get the big chunk and cut it yourself. You want squares of cheese, not crumbles that won't amount to much.

Don't these look so beautiful and diced up? Make sure your red onion is diced super small. There are lots of YouTube videos on dicing onions if you aren't sure how. I took a knife class and we had to practice on onions. More than once. HAHA

Roast those huge shrimp in oil, salt and pepper for no more than 6 minutes. You won't want the star of the show all rubbery. The salt and pepper is really up to your preference, I use less salt and more pepper for a little kick. You can also roast these with a little chili pepper flakes for some heat. Don't be heavy handed though or it will take away from the fresh lightness of this salad.

Cook your orzo while the shrimp are roasting and toast with your salad oil (see recipe). Toss in your shrimp. Then add all your fresh greens and onion. Mix and then throw in that beautiful feta. WOW, this is such a colorful salad!

This salad, like all pasta salads, taste better after they have time to sit and soak all the flavors together. Second day is even better than the night you make it. This goes great with fish, pork or steak. Enjoy and leave a comment!

Ingredients:

• Kosher salt

• Extra virgin olive oil

• 1 package (16 oz) orzo pasta (rice-shaped pasta)

• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 large lemons)

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 2 pounds (16 to 18 count) shrimp, peeled and deveined

• 1 cup diced green onions, white and green parts

• 1 cup chopped fresh dill

• 1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

• 1 cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and medium-diced

• 1/2 cup small-diced red onion

• 3/4 pound (I used 16 oz) feta cheese, large diced

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Fill a large pot with water, add 1 tablespoon of salt and a splash of oil, and bring the water to a boil. Add the orzo and simmer for 9 to 11 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it's cooked al dente. Drain and pour into a large bowl.

3. Whisk together the lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Pour over the hot pasta and stir well.

4. Meanwhile, place the shrimp on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper to your preference. Toss to combine and spread out in a single layer. Roast for 5 to 6 minutes, until the shrimp are cooked through. Don't overcook!

5. Add the shrimp to the orzo and then add the green onions, dill, parsley, cucumber, and red onion. Toss well.

6. Add the feta and stir carefully so the cheese doesn't break apart.

7. Set aside at room temperature for 1 hour to allow the flavors to blend, or refrigerate overnight. If refrigerated, taste again for seasonings and bring back to room temperature before serving.

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