Love a good barbecue? Good choice, I do too. Every summer the magazines are filled with photos of grilled delights and I cannot wait to experiment with new proteins, vegetables and even fruits over the flames. With sunshine and friends, an outdoor BBQ makes for a perfect afternoon activity. Plus, you can corral any children with a well placed fence and entertain the adult with a competitive game of cornhole.

One challenge for a hassle-free BBQ is the side dishes. Salads, fruit platters or desserts are always hits, but I find it difficult to find a perfect starchy dish for groups. Some people don't like potato salad, and I find cold pasta salad a trifle odd. So this dish hits the mark. It's got protein, starch and vegetables; great fresh flavors with the herbs; some grill action on the shrimp with a little salty kick from the feta. Plus it's served warm.

One of the ulterior motives I had for making this dish is that I am (for the first time) growing some basil. Heretofore I have killed all herbs in my possession. However, I finally got a basil plant which is thriving. Clearly I have to cook with it!

Hungry? Let's begin.

In a small bowl combine all the ingredients for the shrimp marinade and mix well.

Clean shrimp and add to marinade, tossing gently to coat each shrimp. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.

Make the dressing by adding all ingredients to a small food processor and pulse until herbs are chopped and oil is emulsified.

Heat large pot with water on the stove. While waiting for it to boil, trim the ends from the snap peas and set aside. Chop the tomatoes in half and slice the scallions on a bias and add to a large serving bowl. Roughly chop the parsley and add to serving bowl.

When the water is boiling, add the orzo and cook according to package directions. When 30 seconds remain, add the snap peas for a quick blanch.

Drain the pasta and let cool for ~5 minutes.

Add the pasta and peas to the serving bowl and drizzle dressing on top. The warm pasta absorbs the flavors nicely.

Heat up the grill. While waiting, thread the marinated shrimp onto metal skewers and discard leftover marinade.

Grill 1-2 minutes per side until just cooked through. Slide off skewers and add to the serving bowl.

Top with feta and serve.

Enjoy!

Orzo Salad with Grilled Shrimp and Feta

Adapted from Gourmet Magazine
Published 08/2009

Ingredients

Marinade

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Juice from 1/2 lemon
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves, minced
• Ground black pepper
• 1 pound large shrimp, uncooked, peeled and deveined

Dressing

• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Juice from 1/2 lemon
• 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 teaspoons fresh oregano leaves
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves
• Ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil

Salad

• 2 cups orzo
• 1/2 pound sugar snap peas
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 6 scallions
• 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
• Salt to taste
• 4 ounces crumbled feta

Instructions

1. Prepare the shrimp. In a small bowl, combine garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, oregano and black pepper for the marinade. Mix well and add the shelled shrimp. Toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
2. Prepare the dressing. In a small food processor, add garlic, lemon juice, parsley, oregano, basil, pepper and olive oil. Pulse until herbs are finely chopped and oil has emulsified. Set aside.
3. In a large pot, boil water for orzo. While the water heats, trim ends from snap peas.
4. Cook orzo according to package directions (approx. 7-10 minutes). When 30 seconds remain, add the snap peas to blanch. Drain pasta and peas and cool for 5 minutes.
5. While orzo cooks, cut cherry tomatoes in half and thinly slice scallions on a bias. Roughly chop parsley and add all to a large bowl.
6. Add orzo and snap peas to the same large bowl and drizzle dressing over the pasta. Toss gently.
7. Preheat the grill. While it heats, slide marinated shrimp onto metal skewers and discard the remaining marinade. Grill shrimp for approx. 2 minutes on each side until shrimp are pink and just cooked through. Slide off skewers and toss into salad.
8. Top with feta and serve.