Matty Matheson’s Orzo and Goat Cheese Salad

If you’re looking for the ultimate orzo pasta salad, this is it. Chef Matty Matheson describes it as “This is a tasty Mediterranean shovel-fest salad. Have this with some
grilled chicken or lamb chops. Holy cow shit. Orzo is white hot. You’ll see; you are ahead of the curve. You will be the most fantastic kids at the function. Whoever pulls up with the orzo and goat cheese salad is going to be bringing something. Orzo’s gone full circle. Does anyone even care about orzo? HELLO, does anyone care about orzo salads?”

Read our interview with Matty Matheson HERE.

Matty Matheson's Orzo and Goat Cheese Salad

Feel free to add grilled chicken or lamb chop to Matty Matheson's tasty Mediterranean "shovel-fest" salad made with orzo pasta, cherry tomatoes, zucchini, goat cheese and fresh herbs.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried orzo pasta
• 1 medium zucchini cut into halved coins that are ¼ in (6 mm) thick
• 6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil divided
• kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 small garlic clove minced
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
• ¾ cup crumbled goat cheese 3 oz
• 2 tbsp chopped basil leaves
• 2 tbsp chopped tarragon
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley

Instructions

 

• Bring small pot of salted water to a boil. Add orzo and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Let cool completely.
• Heat large cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. Toss zucchini with 2 tbsp of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook zucchini on cut sides until lightly charred and tender. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
• In small bowl, whisk together 2 tbsp of the remaining olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
• In large bowl, combine orzo, charred zucchini, and cherry tomatoes. Gently fold in goat cheese, reserving a small amount for garnish. Drizzle vinaigrette over salad and toss to coat evenly.
• Add basil, tarragon, parsley and reserved goat cheese. Finish with remaining 2 tbsp olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.

Keyword cherry tomatoes, pasta salad, quick, zucchini

Exerpted from Matty Matheson: Soups, Salads, Sandwiches by Matty Matheson. Copyright © 2024 Matty Matheson. Photographs by Quentin Bacon. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.