Summer Salads III: Southwest Orzo Salad

I created this zingy pasta salad for my parents when they visited this past winter.  It turned out to be a tasty addition to our Tex-Mex Super Bowl meal.  Orzo is a small pasta that resembles rice.  It works great in this salad, but other pasta types would be ok.  Boxes of orzo always look tiny, but it's deceptive - a small amount of uncooked orzo results in a much larger cooked amount.

Roasting your own peppers and corn really adds great flavor to this side.  In a pinch you can go without roasting them, but I highly recommend doing it if you can.  The spice in this dish can be raised or lowered according to your tastes by raising or lowering the amount of chipotle, or by using a different chile. 
Southwest Orzo Salad
1 cup (uncooked) orzo
1 green bell pepper
1 ear sweet corn
2 green onions, minced
1/4 c sour cream
2 Tbsp lime juice
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
1/8 tsp chipotle powder (or other chile powder, such as ancho or cayenne)
salt and pepper

Cook orzo according to package directions in salted water.  Drain well but do not rinse, and allow to cool.

Roast green pepper by grilling over gas burner, or under broiler.  Rotate pepper to char all sides.  When all sides are roasted, place pepper in a sealed plastic bag for the steam to loosen the skin.  When pepper is cool enough to handle, wipe off the charred skin with a paper towel.  Remove the stem and seeds, and chop the flesh of the pepper into small pieces.

Grill or roast the corn on a grill, over a gas burner, in the oven, or in a cast iron skillet.  Allow to cool somewhat before slicing the kernels off of the corn. 

Allow ingredients to cool to room temp before mixing.  Stir orzo, chopped pepper, corn, green onions, and cilantro.  Mix sour cream with lime juice and chipotle, and stir into salad.  Use more sour cream or lime juice if needed to achieve desired sauciness.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Refrigerate until chilled and serve.

For a heartier variation, try adding black beans or crumbled queso fresco.  Happy eating!