This recipe is a quick crowd pleaser. Roast the vegetables while the pasta is cooking. Mix up the dressing and then toss it all together. To prepare the chicken you can either roast chicken breasts yourself while the vegetables are cooking or chop up a roasted chicken from the grocery store. Just a few simple steps and then dinner is ready for your hungry crowd. Thanks to our friend Shanna who originally prepared a version of this dish for us and provided the inspiration.
For the dressing we prefer a combination of Neapolitan Herb Dark Balsamic Vinegar and Whole Lemon Fused Olive Oil. The lemon complements the chicken and brightens the dish while Neapolitan packs a powerful punch of herbs and flavor. Another winning duo for this orzo salad would be the Sicilian Lemon White Balsamic Vinegar and Rosemary Olive Oil. You can experiment with different dressing combinations; check out our Suggested Pairings page to get some more ideas.
Ingredients
- 1 each red, yellow, orange peppers; chopped
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 red onion, chopped
- Ā¼ cup Olive This! Whole Lemon Olive Oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Ā½ teaspoon pepper
- Chicken
- 1 pound orzo pasta
- 8 ounces of Feta cheese
- 4 green onions, chopped
*Optional, add Ā¼ cup roasted pine nuts or fresh basil
Dressing:
- Ā½ cup Olive This! Neapolitan Herb Dark Vinegar
- Ā½ cup Olive This! Whole Lemon Fused Olive Oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Ā½ teaspoon pepper
Directions:
Toss the chopped peppers, garlic & onion in olive oil and salt & pepper. Roast them in the oven for 30 minutes at 400 degrees. Stir half way through to ensure they cook evenly. Add chicken and roast for a final 10 minutes. (This warms the chicken so that all ingredients in the final product are hot.)
While the vegetables are in the oven, cook the pasta according to directions. Whisk dressing ingredients together until well blended. Toast the pine nuts if you are including them.
Mix roasted vegetables, chicken, feta & dressing together in a large bowl. Top with green onions and serve. If you are using fresh basil, add it at this time as well. Enjoy!
*Note: This recipe is really just a guideline and can be modified easily to fit your family’s preference. Next time we fix it I’ll probably double the roasted veggies. We love vegetables at our house.
Have a comment? Weād love to hear from you. Have you tried this dish? Do you have a variation that you think others will enjoy? Leave us a comment below.