Orzo Salad with Tuna & Chickpeas

Name: Orzo Salad with Tuna & Chickpeas
Total time: 1800 s
Yield: 4 main, 6-8 side
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 8 oz orzo; 1 (14 oz) can chickpeas; 1 (5 oz) can tuna, drained; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 2 bay leaves; 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divides; 10-12 sprigs flat leaf parsley, leaves stripped and chopped; 6 oz grape tomatoes, quartered; 4 oz whole milk mozzarella, diced in 1/2-inch cubes; 2 large handfuls arugula; 1/4 cup Italian vinaigrette, bottled or homemade; Salt & pepper

Ilona @ilonainthekitchen

This is a quick and easy pantry pasta salad that can serve 4 as a main course, or 6-8 as a side dish. It is highly adaptable, and I found this combination of ingredients to be particularly delicious. The flavors will develop if you have time to prepare the salad a few hours before serving. If stashed in the refrigerator, allow to come to room temperature before serving.

Ilona @ilonainthekitchen

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Ingredients

30 min

4 main, 6-8 side

8 ozorzo
1 (14 oz)can chickpeas
1 (5 oz)can tuna, drained
2 clovesgarlic, minced
2bay leaves
1/4 cupextra virgin olive oil, divides
10-12 sprigsflat leaf parsley, leaves stripped and chopped
6 ozgrape tomatoes, quartered
4 ozwhole milk mozzarella, diced in 1/2-inch cubes
2large handfuls arugula
1/4 cupItalian vinaigrette, bottled or homemade
Salt & pepper

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Steps

30 min

1

Add chickpeas with their liquid, 1/2 cup water, minced garlic and bay leaves to medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to boil, turn heat to medium-low and simmer until chickpeas are soft, about 10 minutes. Drain chickpeas, discard bay leaves.
2

Add chickpeas to large bowl and stir in 2 T extra virgin olive oil. Let cool completely.
3

Rinse out saucepan, add 2 quarts water and bring to boil over high heat. Add orzo and cook until al dente, 8-9 minutes. Drain orzo and rinse with cold water until completely cool.
4

Add cooled orzo to bowl with chickpeas. Stir in remaining 2 T extra virgin olive oil.
5

Stir drained tuna into bowl containing orzo and chickpeas.
6

Add diced tomatoes, chopped parsley, cubed mozzarella, and 1/4 cup vinaigrette to bowl with orzo, chickpeas and tuna. Stir well and season to taste with salt and pepper.
7

Stir in arugula leaves, adding more dressing or seasoning as desired. Serve at room temperature.