This pasta salad just might be perfection. Light, delicious, good hot or cold, and brilliant as leftovers. It comes together quickly, making it a great offering at a last minute summer potluck or picnic.

While the pasta water comes to a boil, you prepare the vegetables. While the pasta cooks, sauté the veggies up—be liberal with the smoked sea salt and cracked pepper, you won’t regret it.

After that, all that’s left is tossing everything together and topping it off with some delicious thick balsamic vinegar and crumbled chèvre. Yum!

Orzo, Tomato, & Asparagus Salad

2 cups orzo pasta, cooked

1 tbsp olive oil (pomace) (USA / Canada)

1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced

10–12 asparagus stalks, woody ends discarded, sliced into 3cm portions
10–12 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 can artichoke hearts, drained & quartered

Smoked sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Balsamic vinegar
Chèvre

While the pasta cooks, sauté the onion in olive oil (pomace) (USA / Canada) until soft. Add the garlic, asparagus, and cherry tomatoes, seasoning with salt and pepper. Cook until tender, and remove them from the heat. Drain the pasta, and toss everything together. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and drizzle with balsamic and sprinkle with chèvre. Chow down!