Orzo Salad with Seasonal Veggies

Good for a picnic, a cook-out, or leftover for lunch later in the week. Summer veggies are finally making their debut.

Orzo Salad with Veggies

1 ½ cups orzo, uncooked
1 cup sugar snap peas, raw
¼ cup bell pepper, chopped
¼ cup green onions, sliced fine
2/3 cup dandelion greens, chopped
4-5 Tbsp Italian salad dressing (I used Bountifuls)
2 Tbsp Basil infused/flavored olive oil (I used O&CO)
1 tsp sea salt
black pepper (optional)
hard Italian cheese, such as Parmesan or Asiago, grated

1. Cook orzo in boiling water until tender. Drain and rinse in cold water. Add to a large serving or mixing bowl.
2. Meanwhile, snap the ends off of the sugar snap peas and remove the pesky little strings. Steam for about 5 minutes. (You can eat the whole thing or just the wee little peas—but the outside is sweet and tender, so why waste?) After cooking them, throw the peas in a bath of ice water for a minute or two.
3. Add all of the veggies to the orzo and give it a good stir. Then add dressing, oil, salt and black pepper. Mix well. Chill if desired, or serve slightly warm.
4. Serve the salad topped with grated cheese.

Note: No basil olive oil? Use regular, high quality olive oil instead and add a few tablespoons of chopped, fresh basil.