Ingredients

The following ingredients have 4 Servings
  • 1 cup uncooked orzo
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 2 bunches fresh basil leaves (~2 cups)
  • 1/3 cup walnuts
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 lemon, zested and juiced
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/4 cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 4 large beefsteak tomatoes
  • 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 corn cob (or ~1/3 cup frozen corn kernels)
  • 8 ounces mozzarella balls
  • 1 cucumber, seeded and chopped
  • mint, for garnish

Instruction

  • Begin by cooking your orzo. You can cook the orzo in water in you’d like, I just think cooking it in vegetable broth adds a little bit more flavor. Bring the vegetable broth/water to a boil. Add the orzo and stir. Cook until al dente, about 9 minutes. Drain and set aside.
  • While waiting for the orzo to cook, prepare your pesto. Add the basil leaves and walnuts to a food processor and chop.
  • Add the minced garlic, lemon, zest, salt and pepper and pulse to combine.
  • Add the cheese and process. While the food processor is running, add the olive oil in a steady stream. Process until combined.
  • Add the pesto to the orzo while the orzo is still warm (it makes mixing easier). Set aside.
  • Toss the halved grape tomatoes with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Preheat a grill pan over medium heat. Place grape tomatoes cut side down on the grill.
  • Grill for 1-2 minutes or until charred. Remove from grill and allow to cool.
  • Place the corn on the cob on the grill, spraying with cooking spray. Cook for 2 minutes on each side, or until grill marks appear. Set aside and allow to cool. Remove the kernels using a knife. (If using frozen kernels, allow to thaw. Add to a pot over medium high heat and mix until slightly charred).
  • Chop your cucumber. I like keeping the skin on, but you can peel your cucumber if you want. Combine with the corn and tomatoes.
  • Mix the vegetables until the orzo mixture and add the mozzarella. I quartered the mozzarella balls to make them a bit smaller. You can use normal mozzarella and cut it into bite size pieces if you want but marinated mozzarella adds even more flavor to this recipe.
  • Cover and refrigerate for an hour or overnight.
  • Before serving, rinse the beefsteak tomatoes. Cut off the top of each and use a spoon to remove the center and all seeds.
  • Set on a paper towel, cut side down. When ready to serve, add the orzo mixture to the cut tomatoes. Garnish with additional basil or some mint for an extra pop of flavor.