MEDITERRANEAN ORZO SALAD

Prep Time: 1½ Hours
Yields: 6 Servings

Comment:
The literal Italian translation for "orzo" is "barley," but orzo pasta is rice-shaped pasta traditionally used in soups. This cold pasta salad combines orzo with marinated artichoke hearts, feta cheese and mixed olives to create a great-tasting dish straight from the Greek isles.

Ingredients:
1½ cups uncooked orzo pasta
1 cucumber
1 (12-ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts, sliced and marinade reserved
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
¼ cup minced yellow bell pepper
1 red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 (8-ounce) jar Bittersweet Plantation Dairy® Marinated Feta Cheese, with marinade
1 (2-ounce) can sliced black olives, drained
1 cup Italian olive salad, with liquid
¼ cup chopped parsley
1 tsp chopped oregano
salt and cracked black pepper to taste
2 prosciutto slices, (¼-inch) diced

Method:
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a rolling boil. Add pasta and cook 8–10 minutes or until al dente. Peel cucumber, slice in half lengthwise, seed and slice each half. Drain orzo, run under cold water until completely cooled and place in a large bowl. Fold in artichoke hearts with marinade, tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, onion, feta with marinade, olives, olive salad with liquid, parsley and oregano then mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Chill at least 1 hour. Serve in a large chilled bowl garnished with prosciutto.