Curried Orzo Pasta Salad

Summertime and pasta salad are meant to be best friends. I love this pasta salad because it has just enough zing and sweet-salty flavor to pair it perfectly with a grilled protein or eat on its own. If you don’t like a particular add-in, just omit it, no need to get fussy about things.

Enjoy Y’all!

1, 8oz box orzo pasta cooked al dente in heavily salted water
Sauce:
1 small container of plain Greek yogurt (about a 5 oz size or 1/4 cup)
Olive Oil
1 1/2 cap fulls of apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 1/4 tsp curry
1/4 tsp cayenne
2 Tbsp agave nectar or honey
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
Add-ins:
1/2 cup craisins
1/2 -2/3 cup chopped apricots
3 diced green onions
3-4 carrots, grated
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped

Directions:
1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions, plus add in 2 Tbsp of salt. Drain the cooked pasta and allow the pasta to cool slightly.
2. In a large bowl, add the whole container of Greek yogurt  (minus a spoonful) or the 1/4 cup into a bowl. Fill the yogurt cup about halfway up with olive oil (or 1/3 cup). Add in remaining sauce ingredients, plus add-ins into the bowl. Taste the mixture to see if additional salt, honey, or pepper is needed depending on your taste buds.

3. Add cooked and slightly cooled pasta. The mixture will be slightly soupy but the pasta will absorb most of the moisture. Serve immediately or place in an airtight container for up to 3 days.