{spinach orzo pasta salad}

If you know me, then you know this is hands down my most favorite salad of all time.  My mom’s bestie, Ronda, shared this gem with me.  I treasure this recipe!!  And now I’m going to share it with all of you.  This is the salad that everyone always asks me to bring.  This is the salad that I can eat for an entire week and never get sick of it.  Trust me…it’s amazeballs.

Are you hosting Mother’s Day this weekend?  Make this for your mama.  She will love you even more.

It is a little time-consuming, but can be made in advance.  That’s a big plus when hosting.

Please forgive me for the awful photos.  The salad is normally so crazy photogenic.  And I failed miserably when I took these.  Now the salad has been consumed…..like every single morsel of it.  So, I can’t go back and snap another picture, damn it.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1 bag spinach, chopped
• 1 head radicchio, chopped
• 5 roma tomatoes, diced
• 1 small jar capers
• 1 small jar sun-dried tomatoes in oil, chopped
• 1 can sliced black olives
• 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
• 1 cup shaved parmesan cheese
• 1/2 box orzo pasta, cooked

Dressing:

• 2 Tablespoons cider vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3 lemons, juiced
• zest of 2 lemons
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• salt + pepper

Add all salad ingredients to a large bowl.  Mix dressing ingredients in a mason jar and shake well.  Dress salad right before serving.

Kitchen Tips:

I use a microplane for the lemon zest.  It’s one of my most loved kitchen tools.  Works great for parmesan, garlic and lemon.  Totally worth the small investment.  Here is the one that I have in my kitchen:

Zcutt Stainless Steel Microplane

What is radicchio?  Peeps always think the radiccho is red cabbage.  Nooooo.  And you can’t sub for red cabbage, EVER.  It’s just not the same.

Radicchio (pronounced ra-DEEK-ee-o) is a leafy member of the chicory family, often called Italian chicory, which explains its bold, bitter flavor. Although its compact like red cabbage, radicchio’s leaves are thinner and more tender unlike red cabbage’s firm and waxy texture.

You + your guests are going to LOVE this recipe.  Let me know if you make it.  It kinda makes my day 🙂

xoxo stacyb