Orzo Pasta Salad

My daughter Michelle sent me this delicious (according to her) recipe so I decided to try it today for lunch. I went to the kitchen and didn't find orzo pasta, balsamic vinegar, radicchio, Parmesan cheese, fresh basil or pine nuts. That left only the olive oil, the black olives and the garlic, but I was up for the challenge.

Original version of Orzo Pasta Salad
1 1/2 C. orzo pasta
1/3 c. packed sundried tomatoes
5 Tbps. olive oil
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
1/4 c. black olives, chopped
1 c. radicchio, finely chopped
1/2 c. grated Parmesan
1/2 c. fresh basil, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 c. toasted pine nuts

Cook pasta, mix with oil , vinegar and olives. Let cool and mix in rest of ingredients.

Instead of the orzo pasta, I chose bow-tie, whole wheat pasta because I think bow-ties are pretty. For the sundried tomatoes I used healthier, freshly chopped ones. I squeezed most of one lime and 6 squirts of Molho Inglês (because it is the same color as the balsamic). Instead of radicchio, I blanched two tufts of broccoli in the pasta water as the pasta was cooking (to save on energy). I decided on one quarter round of light, fresh Riccotta Cheese and happily threw in a half tablespoon of dried basil. For the pine nuts, I used 8 (I am known for my ecomonic policies) pecan halves, broken by hand by yours truly. By this time my brain was spinning out of control and I added half of a large carrot, finely grated and a can of sardines, or if you prefer, sardines from one can, washed under hot water to take off the oil. It needed salt so I guessed on the amount. Presto! It was a huge success and there was enough left over so I won't have to make Sunday lunch, and if I'm lucky, Monday lunch.

Well, okay, so maybe I should change the name to something else.