Orzo With Grilled Shrimp, Summer Vegetables, And Pesto Vinaigrette
- 8 oz orzo (about 1 1/3 cups)
- 6 1/2 tbls extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 4 tbls red wine vinagar, divided
- 2 medium zucchini or summer squash (about 9 ozs. total), cut lengthwise into 1/4 inch-thick slices
- 1 red or yellow bell pepper, quartered
- 3 tbls pesto
- 2 tbls fresh lime juice
- 1 pd uncooked large shrimp, peeled, deveined (optional)
- 2 heirloom tomatoes (8 to 10 oz. total), cored, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (about 2 cups)
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves plus sprigs for garnish
- 1 8 - ox ball fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- Cook orzo in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally.
- Drain. Rinse with cold water, drain well. Transfer to large bowl and toss with 1 tbls oil.
- Prebare barbecue ( med-high heat). Whisk 2 tbls oil and 2 tbls vinegar in small bowl. Brush zucchini and bell pepper with oil mixture, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Whisdk pesto, lime juice remaining 3 1/2 tbls oil, and remaining 2 tbls vinegar in small bowl for pesto vinaigrette. Place shrimp in medium bowl. Add 2 tbls pesto vinagrette, toss to coat. Grill zucchini and bell pepper until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes per side for zucchini and 4 minutes per side for bell pepper. Transfer to work surface. Sprinkle shrimp with salt and pepper, grill until charred and cooked through, 2 - 3 minutes per side. Place shrimp in bowl with orzo. Chop zucchini and bell pepper: add to bowl with orzo. Add remaining vinaigrette, tomatoes, sliced basil, and mozzarella; toss to combine. Season to taste with and pepper.
- can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover, chill. Garnish with basil sprigs.
orzo, extravirgin olive oil, red wine vinagar, zucchini, red, pesto, lime juice, shrimp, tomatoes, fresh basil, mozzarella cheese
Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/orzo-with-grilled-shrimp-summer-vegetables-and-pesto-vinaigrette-1276804 (may not work)