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Roasted Orzo Salad with Corn & Zucchini

Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword Cookout, corn, orzo, zucchini
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 6

Ingredients

  • 4 ears of corn, shucked
  • 1 small zucchini, cut into approx ⅛ slices
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt, to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • ½ pound orzo
  • ¼ cup light mayonnaise
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon minced shallot
  • ½ teaspoon ancho chile powder
  • 1 ½ cups coarsely chopped cilantro
  • Shaved pecorino or parmesan, optional, for garnish
  • 2 green onions, chopped, for garnish

Preparation

  1. 1. Prepare your oven for roasting. Preheat to approximately 375ºF, varying by oven. In a large bowl, toss the corn and zucchini with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Alternately, you can grill the vegetables over moderate heat. Roast or grill until slightly charred and crisp-tender, about 10 minutes for the zucchini and 15 minutes for the corn, again, varying by oven. Transfer to a cutting board and let cool. Cut the kernels off the corn and cut the zucchini into half-moons. Transfer to a large bowl.



  2. 2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan of salted boiling water, cook the orzo until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool. Drain well and spread the orzo out on a baking sheet; pat dry with paper towels.

  3. 3. In a large bowl, whisk the mayonnaise with the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil and the lime juice, shallot, chile powder and ½ cup of the cilantro; season with salt and pepper. Add the orzo, corn, zucchini and the remaining chopped cilantro and mix well. Transfer to a platter. Using a vegetable peeler, shave the cheese all over the top, garnish with green onions, and serve.