Grilled Tomato Orzo Salad in a Tomato Bowl

Ingredients

• 1
  
  cup uncooked orzo
  
• 4
  
  cups vegetable broth
  
• 2
  
  bunches fresh basil leaves (~2 cups)
  
• 1/3
  
  cup walnuts
  
• 3
  
  garlic cloves, minced
  
• 1
  
  lemon, zested and juiced
  
• 
  
  salt and pepper, to taste
  
• 1/4
  
  cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese
  
• 1/3
  
  cup olive oil
  
• 4
  
  large beefsteak tomatoes
  
• 1
  
  pint grape tomatoes, halved
  
• 1
  
  tablespoon olive oil
  
• 1
  
  corn cob (or ~1/3 cup frozen corn kernels)
  
• 8
  
  ounces mozzarella balls
  
• 1
  
  cucumber, seeded and chopped
  
• 
  
  mint, for garnish
  

Directions

1. Begin by cooking your orzo. You can cook the orzo in water in you’d like, I just think cooking it in vegetable broth adds a little bit more flavor. Bring the vegetable broth/water to a boil. Add the orzo and stir. Cook until al dente, about 9 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. While waiting for the orzo to cook, prepare your pesto. Add the basil leaves and walnuts to a food processor and chop.
3. Add the minced garlic, lemon, zest, salt and pepper and pulse to combine.
4. Add the cheese and process. While the food processor is running, add the olive oil in a steady stream. Process until combined.
5. Add the pesto to the orzo while the orzo is still warm (it makes mixing easier). Set aside.
6. Toss the halved grape tomatoes with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Preheat a grill pan over medium heat. Place grape tomatoes cut side down on the grill.
7. Grill for 1-2 minutes or until charred. Remove from grill and allow to cool.
8. Place the corn on the cob on the grill, spraying with cooking spray. Cook for 2 minutes on each side, or until grill marks appear. Set aside and allow to cool. Remove the kernels using a knife. (If using frozen kernels, allow to thaw. Add to a pot over medium high heat and mix until slightly charred).
9. Chop your cucumber. I like keeping the skin on, but you can peel your cucumber if you want. Combine with the corn and tomatoes.
10. Mix the vegetables until the orzo mixture and add the mozzarella. I quartered the mozzarella balls to make them a bit smaller. You can use normal mozzarella and cut it into bite size pieces if you want but marinated mozzarella adds even more flavor to this recipe.
11. Cover and refrigerate for an hour or overnight.
12. Before serving, rinse the beefsteak tomatoes. Cut off the top of each and use a spoon to remove the center and all seeds.
13. Set on a paper towel, cut side down. When ready to serve, add the orzo mixture to the cut tomatoes. Garnish with additional basil or some mint for an extra pop of flavor.