Summer is coming in full swing. One of my favorite summer dishes is orzo pasta. This has a textured look similar to rice, with a nutty flavor. It is great to use in many recipes such as in salads, and in main or side dishes. In my recipe, I use shrimps, herbs, spices and lots of garlic bread crumbs to enhance flavor.
Ingredients:
- 8-10 jumbo size shrimps
- 2 cup orzo pasta
Preparing the shrimps:
- 3-4 cloves of garlic
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, crushed
- 2 tablespoon chili oil
- Salt according to taste
- Preparing salad dressing:
- 1 tablespoon Italian dressing
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 tablespoon sweet chili sauce
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, crushed
- 1 tablespoon roasted combination of spice powder (1 teaspoon of cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon raw coriander, and 2 teaspoons crushed red chili flakes; combine and roast on a low flame, and then grind into a powdered form)
- Salt according to taste
Preparing vegetable:
- 1 onion, small size, finely chopped
- 1 cup cilantro, finely chopped
- 2 cups cucumber, dice
- 6-8 cherry tomatoes, cut into half
Preparing garlic bread crumbs:
- 1 cup bread crumb
- 4-5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, crushed
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt according to taste
Method:
Preparing garlic bread crumbs:
In a large heavy skillet, add butter and oil over medium heat. Combine garlic and bread crumbs. Cook, stir rapidly, until crumbs and garlic are golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. drain them on paper towel and season with salt and pepper.
Preparing salad dressing:
In a bowl, whisk together garlic, Italian dressing, lime juice, sweet chili sauce, black pepper, honey, roasted combination of spice powder, salt to make a salad dressing.
Preparing shrimps:
In a large bowl, whisk together with garlic, lime juice, black pepper, and salt. Set aside.
Heat chili oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Cook shrimp until it turns pink for about 2 minutes. Set aside
Assembling the salad:
To assemble the salad, transfer the pasta into the prepared salad platter. Just before serving, add onion, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, cilantro, and dress lightly with salad dressing. Toss well to combine. Add shrimps and toss gently without mixing shrimps too much. Season with bread crumbs generously.