From Scratch

This is a summer favorite. It’s chilled, it’s lemony-refreshing, it’s pasta and it’s a snap to make. Technically it’s a side dish, but I’ve also eaten it as a main course, adding veggies or protein to it or having it with greens or fruit salad.

When this recipe ran in The New York Times — I believe it was 1993 — it caused a run on Boyajian lemon oil at Zabar’s, one of the few places at the time to carry it. That was the brand the writer recommended, describing it as, “Deep yellow essence, intensely lemony, bitter unless combined with other ingredients; a drop in the pot enlivens pasta, chopped vegetable salads, steamed lobster, and adds a fresh flavor if lightly brushed over grilled fish.” That was all the justification I needed to plunk down several dollars for one ingredient that I would use 1/2 teaspooon of in a recipe I wasn’t sure I’d like well enough to make more than once.

Lemon oil, like all oils, will eventually go rancid. I think its recommended shelf life after opening is six months but it will keep longer than that if refrigerated. If you’re in doubt, taste it; rancid is easy to taste although a lot of people keep open cooking oils so long they’ve become accustomed to rancidity and think that’s what oil tastes and smells like. For most people the huge bottles and cans of any oil are a false economy. The contents go rancid long before they’re used up.

Orzo Salad with Lemon Oil

3  cups cooked orzo *
1/2 cup basil, fresh, chopped
2 TB Italian parsley, fresh, chopped
1 1/2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp lemon oil
1 tsp kosher salt
freshly ground pepper to taste

* About 1 1/2 cups uncooked. I cook mine for 9-10 minutes. 

Place the cooked orzo in a mixing bowl.  Add the basil and parsley and mix well.  Add the olive oil, lemon oil, salt and pepper and mix until combined.  Serve cold or at room temperature.

Serves 4

Source: New York Times

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Tags: easy, healthy recipes, quick