Spring Orzo Salad Recipe
And two excellent dinners out
Hey everyone, hope you’re all having a lovely bank holiday.
With the sun (finally) coming out a little more consistently and summer starting to feel like it’s on the way, I’ve been thinking about lighter, fresher recipes – and somehow, pasta salad popped into my head.
When I was younger, I used to love a pasta salad from the supermarket salad bar during my sixth form lunch breaks. Weirdly though, I never liked the ones in the meal deal section – they always had a strange tang I couldn’t get past. If I’m honest, pasta salads have never been my go-to, I’m more of a hot pasta gal, so I rarely make them at home.
But last year I made a Marathon Pasta Salad for a friend running the Hackney Half, and it made me realise how good they can be. So as a bit of a celebration of the warmer weather (fingers crossed for a long summer ahead), I made a spring pasta salad using peas, broad beans, and asparagus.
The dressing is the hero here, punchy and full of flavour. I used extra virgin olive oil, loads of fresh basil, garlic, vinegar for acidity, and a little sugar to balance it out. It’s a great all-rounder dressing, and I might share a few variations in the coming weeks. I used fresh broad beans, but frozen ones work perfectly too if you want to save some prep time or can’t find them in pods.
Aside from recipe testing, I’ve also eaten at some lovely places recently – One Club Row and Bubala being a couple of standouts.
Bubala, known for its original spot in Spitalfields, serves up some of the tastiest vegetarian dishes around – especially the silkiest hummus you’ll ever eat. They’ve just opened a second location in King’s Cross, so I cycled over to check it out, and it was every bit as good as I remembered. The starters and dips were my personal favourites, alongside that amazing chocolate pud with cocoa nibs we had. If you’re after a place to take a veggie pal (or just want a great meal, full stop), it’s a brilliant shout – plus they’ve got a great wine list.
Order highlights?
Hummus, burnt butter
Labneh, confit garlic & za’atar
Laffa bread
Smacked cucumbers, tahini, chilli crunch
I also had a bit of a treat of a Thursday evening with my friend Lucas at One Club Row, tucked above the Knave of Clubs in Shoreditch. It’s a perfect date-night spot or a fun evening out with friends – think French/New York-style bistro vibes, delicious dishes, and really great cocktails. The scallops to start were seriously good, and the rhubarb crème brûlée was the kind of dessert you think about the next day. The team were super attentive from the get-go, and there’s just a really fun, buzzy atmosphere in there that makes you want to linger. I’m also keen to get back and try the Knave of Clubs itself – their rotisserie chicken has been getting rave reviews, and it’s firmly on my list.
Order highlights?
Roasted scallop, confit garlic butter
Crème brûlée
Hemingway Daiquiri
THIS WEEK’S RECIPE BELOW…
Spring Orzo Pasta Salad
Ingredients
For the Pasta Salad
250g orzo pasta
1 vegetable stock cube
125g asparagus, trimmed and chopped into bite-sized pieces
125g frozen peas
100g broad beans, podded
1 ball burrata
15g fresh basil leaves (small handful)
15g fresh mint leaves (small handful)
For the Dressing
40g fresh basil
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 tsp golden caster sugar
2 tbsp sherry vinegar
120ml La Española Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Method
Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Add the vegetable stock cube and stir to dissolve. Add the orzo and cook according to packet instructions, until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Set aside to cool.
Bring another pan of water to the boil. Add the asparagus and cook for 2–3 minutes. Add the peas and broad beans for the final minute. Drain and plunge all the vegetables into a bowl of ice water to refresh and preserve the colour.
Once cooled, drain the vegetables. Pop the broad beans out of their skins by gently squeezing them, you're after the bright green beans inside, so discard the outer layer.
In a blender combine the basil, garlic, sugar, olive oil and sherry vinegar. Blitz until you have a smooth green dressing Season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste.
On a large serving platter, or in a bowl, combine the orzo, green vegetables, basil and mint leaves. Pour over the dressing and toss gently to coat.
Transfer the salad to a serving dish or platter if mixed in a bowl. Tear the burrata over the top. Garnish with extra herbs if desired, a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil over the burrata, and freshly cracked black pepper. Serve and enjoy.
