Warm Lemony-Pepper Orzo Salad

Total Calories Per Serving: 249

Orzo makes a nice alternative to a pasta for making a pasta salad. It’s about as intrusive as rice, which means it allows the ingredients added to it to really pop—in this case, a lovely combination of lemon, garlic, and bell peppers.

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

1 cup orzo

¼ teaspoon grated lemon rind

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon minced garlic

½ teaspoon kosher salt

⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ cup red bell pepper, chopped

½ cup yellow bell pepper, chopped

½ cup feta cheese, crumbled

Directions

Step 1: Cook orzo according to package directions.

Step 2: While orzo cooks, whisk together lemon rind, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper in a medium sized to large bowl.

Step 3: When orzo finishes cooking, drain and rinse with cold water and add to bowl with dressing. Gently fold the orzo into the dressing.

Step 4: Stir in the bell peppers and feta cheese. Serve immediately, at room temperature, or cover and refrigerate for 2 hours to serve chilled.

Nutritional Information

Calories 249

Calories from Fat 76

% Daily Value

Total Fat 8.4 g: 13%

Saturated Fat 3.4 g: 17%

Trans Fat

Cholesterol 17mg: 6%

Sodium 503mg: 21%

Total Carbohydrates 34.4 g: 11%

Dietary Fiber 2.1 g: 8%

Sugars 4.3 g

Protein 8.3 g

Vitamin A: 16%

Vitamin C: 58%

Calcium: 10%

Iron: 9%