Orzo Pasta Salad With Grilled Confetti Vegetables and Feta

Orzo pasta salad with zucchini, yellow pepper, corn, cherry tomatoes, pine nuts, feta and a delicious dressing flavored with lemon and oregano. Perfect summer dish. From Today's Parent Magazine.

• Ready In: 35 mins
• Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 3  cups orzo pasta or 3  cups bow tie pasta
• 2  teaspoons olive oil
• 1⁄2 cup olive oil
• 1  teaspoon dried oregano leaves
• 3  tablespoons lemon juice
• 1  tablespoon lemon peel
• 2  teaspoons salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon pepper
• 2  small zucchini, sliced lengthwise into 1/2-inch (1 cm)
• 2  yellow peppers, quartered
• 3  large  ears of corn, husked and wrapped in tinfoil
• 1  cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise
• 1 1⁄2 cups feta cheese, crumbled
• 1⁄2 cup  toasted pine nuts
• 1⁄2 cup basil leaves, torn

Directions

1. In a large pot, bring about 4 cups of salted water to a boil. Add orzo pasta and cook according to package directions, about 6-8 minutes, until al dente (firm to the bite). Drain and rinse under cold water. Let orzo sit in colander to drain well. Transfer to a large bowl and toss with about 2 tsp (5 ml) olive oil to prevent sticking. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, oregano, lemon juice, lemon peel, salt and pepper until well combined. Set aside.
3. Preheat a barbeque or grill to medium-high heat. Brush zucchini strips and yellow pepper with a little olive oil. Place these, along with corn, on barbeque and grill for 4-5 minutes on each side until grill marks appear and vegetables are tender. Remove and set aside on a baking tray to cool. Once cool, cut the kernels off of the corn husks (there should be about 2 cups) and chop the zucchini and yellow peppers into ½-inch (1 cm) pieces.
4. To the orzo pasta, add the zucchini, yellow pepper, corn, cherry tomatoes, feta and pine nuts. Drizzle over lemon vinaigrette and toss gently to combine. Garnish with torn basil leaves.
5. In a hurry? Chop zucchini and yellow pepper into ½-inch dice. Place in large bowl along with cherry tomatoes and 1 cup corn (canned). Toss with 1 tbsp olive oil and season the vegetables with salt and pepper. Spread evenly onto a baking sheet. Bake until lightly browned, about 10 to 15 minutes. Set aside and let cool to room temperature and then toss with orzo salad as above.