Shrimp Orzo Salad

Directions

1. Shrimp Preparation
2. Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees, adjust oven rack to the second rung from the top
3. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper (do not grease the pan)
4. Rinse shrimp. They should be thawed, de-veined and tails removed
5. In a medium bowl, with your hands, gently toss the shrimp with the olive oil, salt and pepper.
6. Evenly spread the shrimp out on the prepared baking sheet.
7. Bake the shrimp for about 4-5 minutes or until pink. Do not over bake!
8. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature.

1. Orzo Prepartation
2. Bring a large saucepan filled with salted water to boil.
3. Add the Orzo and cook until al dente, between 6-8 min (I am at altitude so can take me longer to cook pasta).
4. While the orzo is cooking, finely dice the garlic, red pepper, and red onion and set aside.
5. The orzo is probably done by the time you dice the garlic, peppers and onions. Drain the orzo well and set aside in a large bowl to cool.
6. After the orzo has cooled for about 5 min, add 1 TB of olive oil and mix in with a wooden spoon.
7. Next, chiffonade the basil and chop the parsley.
8. Stir in the garlic peppers, onions, basil, parsley, 1/2 of the salt and pepper and the shrimp.
9. For the dressing, combine 5 TB olive oil, 1 TB champagne vinegar, 2 TB fresh lemon juice, 2 tsp cumin, 1 tsp ginger, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper. Whisk until well combined.
10. Fold gently into pasta.
11. Serve immediately, or chill for a few hours or overnight.