Caprese Orzo Salad

**Mini-update**

Whew! I still have 6 weeks go and this baby feels like he's ready to arrive any day! I'm getting everything washed and packed into our hospital bags, finalizing the nursery and getting the car seat bases installed. We also have our Spanish mama in town and a tropical storm hitting as we speak - so it's been exciting!

But now onto the good stuff ... 

A caprese salad is probably the most refreshing, simple, and elegant vegetarian dish I know of.  Hubs and I often enjoy it along with pasta, and we frequently have leftover bits that are difficult to transfer to lunch bags... it just becomes too sloppy! I thought it would make a great healthy lunch option otherwise, so I created this Caprese Orzo Salad. Try it for your next summer cookout or family gathering!

Ingredients:

   1 package orzo

   1 package grape tomatoes

   1 package fresh mozzarella pearls (in the gourmet cheese section)

   1 bunch fresh basil, rinsed and cut into ribbons

   (I have also made this using regular tomatoes and fresh mozzarella, but the size and shape of these ingredients make it less runny and much prettier.)

Directions:

   1. Cook about 3/4 of the box of orzo according to the manufacturer's directions.

   2. Meanwhile, cut the tomatoes into bite-sized pieces and chop the basil into ribbons if you haven't already. Combine the tomato and basil in a large bowl and add the mozzarella. 

   3. Allow to cooked orzo to cool and drizzle it with EVOO and season with salt and pepper.  Fold in the tomatoes and basil and refrigerate until chilled.  Serve cold.