Orzo and Grilled Vegetable Pasta Salad

Ingredients

• 1 cup (175g) orzo pasta ((risoni))
• 1 small eggplant (aubergine)
• 1 small zucchini (courgette)
• 1 long red pepper ((or small bell pepper))
• ½ cup (80g) sun blushed tomatoes (see notes)
• 1 cup fresh basil ((large handful))
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 cup (50g) olive oil (plus extra for grilling)
• 1 whole lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt flakes
• pepper

Steps

1. 1

   Heat a ridged griddle pan or grill. Finely slice the pepper, eggplant and zucchini and lightly drizzle them in olive oil.

2. 2

   Grill the pepper first until charred and soft on both sides then transfer it to a plate and cover with plastic wrap (this helps to remove the skin later).

3. 3

   Grill the zucchini and eggplant until charred and soft on both sides then transfer them to a plate and sprinkle with salt. Set aside.

4. 4

   Bring a pot of water to a boil and salt it well. Add the orzo and cook until al dente.

5. 5

   Meanwhile, put ¼ cup (50g) olive oil, the juice of 1 whole lemon, ½ teaspoon of dried oregano, ½ teaspoon sea salt flakes and a pinch of black pepper in a large mixing bowl and whisk until combined and emulsified.

6. 6

   Once cooked, drain the orzo pasta and add it to the dressing while still hot. Stir to combine in the dressing.

7. 7

   Remove the plastic wrap from the peppers and peel as much of the skin off as possible (it should come off fairly easy). Roughly chop them and add them to the pasta.

8. 8

   Roughly chop the zucchini, eggplant and fresh basil and add them to the pasta alongside the sun-blushed tomatoes. Stir everything together until well combined. Taste for seasoning and add more salt or lemon to taste.

9. 9

   Serve warm or leave to cool.