Orzo Salad with Feta Cheese

Tender Grains, Bright and Still

A good salad doesn't always announce itself. Sometimes it simply arrives — composed, unhurried, asking nothing more than a quiet afternoon and a willingness to let simple things be beautiful. There's something almost meditative about orzo in this context: small, tender, and patient enough to absorb whatever surrounds it. The brine of crumbled cheese, the gentle bite of red onion, the soft give of wilted greens — it all settles together slowly, the way a good meal should. This is a dish that rewards patience and repays it generously.

Ingredients

• 1 pound Vigo Orzo
• 1/2 cups Alessi Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 8 ounces Vigo Feta Cheese, drained and crumbled
• 1 bag spinach, chopped
• 1 medium red onion, chopped
• 1/2 cups Alessi Red Wine Vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Alessi Garlic Puree
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon mustard
• Alessi Sea Salt and Ground Black Pepper, to taste
• 1.75 ounces Alessi Pine Nuts

Instructions

1. Cook orzo in large pot of boiling water until tender but still firm to bite (about 10 minutes).
2. Drain well.
3. Transfer to large bowl and drizzle with olive oil.
4. Add crumbled feta, spinach, and onion.
5. In a separate bowl, combine vinegar, garlic, oregano, and mustard.
6. Whisk in olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
7. Add dressing to orzo mixture and toss to blend. Garnish with pine nuts, serve and enjoy!