Pasta Salad is an unsung hero of the picnic cookout season. There are a lot of bad pasta salad recipes out there overly dressed and full of all types of crazy ingredients. Sometimes those are fun, but I prefer a simpler recipe as a side dish to accompany delicious grilled meats and fish.
This is a very simple salad. Creamy classic gorgeous green pesto is stirred into hot pasta with California black olives, cheese, a spoonful of Mayonaise that adds just a hint of creamy and lots of chives for color and flavor.
It's served at room temperature and it's a nice mild background to your BBQ meats and other creations. Enjoy this holiday weekend and all Summer long.
Pesto & California Black Olive Orzo Pasta Salad
8 oz. of dried Orzo pasta
1 to 1 1/2 cup pesto ( homemade or store bought fresh not the jarred type)
2 6 oz cans sliced California black olives
1 heaping tablespoon Mayonaise
1 cup shedded Asiago cheese
1/4 cup freshly chopped chives
Salt and pepper to taste
Easy Homemade Pesto
2 cup fresh leaves of basil
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
4 cloves of garlic
3/4 cup toasted pine nuts (or walnuts or pecans)
1 3/4 cups olive oil
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups grated parmesan cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Puree the herbs and garlic and pine nuts in the food processor and slowly blend in the oil with food processor running
Add the nutmeg and the cheese and salt
Blend till combined and bright green
To make the Pasta Salad
Boil the pasta and drain
Add the pesto to the pot and stir to combine while still warm ( This will change the color of the pesto but will also flavor the pasta)
Stir in the mayo
Add the Olives
Add the cheese and add most of the chives leaving a few as garnish
Season with salt and pepper
Garnish with remaining chives
Sitr well to combine and let sit to meld the flavors for a few hours in the fridge
Serve at room temperature
Enjoy Ya'll
No comments:
Post a Comment