We had a half empty box of orzo in our cabinet for a couple of weeks (months maybe?). I had bought it as an ingredient for another recipe and didn’t have any other use for it. I decided to get creative and think up ways to use this cute little orzo pasta. A pasta salad with vegetables and chickpeas seemed like a perfect idea.

Hubby executed this recipe by making a simple lemon and olive oil dressing and tossing it all together. He said it only took as long as the pasta takes to cook – 10 minutes! This was a super refreshing dinner that we both loved. It was a great big bowl of healthiness after a long day of work.

It also tastes great the next day after marinating in its dressing in the fridge overnight. I suggest making enough for leftovers!

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups dried orzo pasta, cooked per instructions
1 1/2 cups cucumber diced
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
6 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp sherry vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
salt and pepper

Instructions
Place the orzo pasta, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, chickpeas, red onion, and parsley in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, sherry vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste. Pour the dressing over the pasta mixture. Toss to coat, then serve. Can be served room temperature or chilled.

Serves 3 generously