I LOVE a chopped salad! I wanting to see some of the original references, but I’m not sure I can tell what the original sources are. Is it The Mozza cookbook? Who is Nancy?
Anyway, I am seriously considering making the chickpeas from dry, then using the broth as a sub for the chicken stock to cook the orzo in the orzo salad recipe.
ETA Ah! Nancy Silverton!
Chickpea “broth” may be starchier than you want for the orzo. Remember the liquid from cans is starchy enough to make a faux meringue.
I’d cook the orzo plain and let it sit in half the dressing while still warm if you want more flavor.
Re the strangeness of quinoa, I think I just perceived it as a better couscous when I started eating it, so I never thought that hard about the seed aspect. Bulgur works as well in most applications and is about even on the nutrition front too.
So of course I’m trying dried chickpeas for the salad, and am reminded of previous discussions of peeling the chickpeas. Usually when talking about silky smooth hummus, but maybe for salad as well.
Any thoughts on peeling chickpeas for salad?
I’ve done a cup or two, and I’m sure it was nucer, but I don’t plan on doing it for five cups…unless…
Please don’t be offended by my question but…how would you feel if you were feeding observant Jews? Or Buddhists / Hindi who are vegetarian? One could argue that they are conforming to dietary restrictions that are by choice but wouldn’t you respect them? Some of the most beautiful food I have ever seen comes from vegetarian Buddhists who cook temple food that is mind-blowing.
Someone down thread mentioned “picky-ness” but as a lapsed vegan/vegetarian and now as conscientious-as-I-can-be pescatarian, I wouldn’t have considered myself picky. Vegans and vegetarians generally speaking are passionate about animal welfare and health of the earth. And, yes, some are just damned picky. 
A bit the same feeling here too, as an “imitation” to risotto, I prefer rice. OK as pasta, but there are better shape, I have still a few packages at home to finish though…
Naf, you can send them to me. 
Orzo is one of my favorites, use it in soups, pilafs, sometimes just cooked & added to crab with butter & garlic. My dad absolutely hates it usually, but will eat it happily in my version of Italian Wedding soup. I think maybe it reminds him of bugs or something. Funny but wonderful we’re all so different.
It’s the mouthfeel for me. Slippery and small. Rice, grains all have some texture and bite. Orzo… just slides around. But I have texture issues with other things, so it may be a minority view.
For all readers, and especially for you orzo haters, I’ve already bought the orzo, so that’s probably a done deal, but is there a pasta you prefer in a pasta salad?
In my experience pasta salad doesn’t get much love among food people, but if you were tasked with developing a pasta salad recipe, what shape would you choose, and why?
Orzo is a great almost instant kid food. A play on minestre in brodo, pasta in broth. In desperation, just open a can of good chicken broth, bring to a boil and pour in a handful or so of orzo. Kids from 1 - 12 usually love it. Or just boil it and serve with butter and Parmesan. Most finicky kids love these uncomplicated and gentle bowls.
I have plenty of vegetarians in my immediate circle of friends and family, and this is a constant issue.
Whether it’s cultural or religious, as it is for many, or health-related or philosophical, as for fewer but growing numbers, it’s amazing how frequently it’s violated when eating out.
I used to think they were paranoid in repeatedly stressing completely vegetarian / no chicken broth / lard / bacon fat / eggs / fish sauce in dishes that were listed as vegetarian and confirmed as such by the host (someone’s home) or server (restaurant) - only to have the food include one or more of said items.
We recently went to a mexican place that had a good range of vegetarian options on the menu. Waiting for a table, we struck up a conversation with one of the waiters and then the host. Turns out their chips are fried in lard… only came up because I asked (for the third time, counting the phone calls before we went, after carefully perusing actual customer reviews) if the beans were indeed vegetarian (they are often cooked in lard, you might never know if you didn’t ask or aren’t versed in mexican cooking) - their beans are not cooked in lard, go figure. Anyway, they were very sweet and apologetic, and we went to another place 5 mins away that was also delicious. But “chips fried in lard” was not even on my radar before that… now I know to add it to what I’m asking beforehand, multiple times (on behalf of friends and family - I eat it all).
Then there are the “sometimes” restricted (who give a bad name to everyone else) - my “gluten sensitive” friend who “can’t resist” fresh baked bread or homemade pasta, and my “vegetarian by choice” friend who still eats ribs and bacon as “exclusions.” They can make their own winding way…
I’ll eat orzo if it’s served! I just don’t “get” it. I’d use bulgur, couscous, or quinoa to complement chickpeas.
I do like pasta salad, maybe I’m just weird. Twisted shapes catch dressing well. Ribbed too, but shorter pieces. Tortellini is especially delicious in salad. TJ has dried mini ravioli that seem tailor made for pasta salad.
(Re your earlier peeling chickpeas qs - NO!)
I don’t like a mouthful of orzo clumped together, but couscous, also a pasta and not a grain, seems trickier. Whatever. I’m avoiding all that these days.
I love orzo . . . .
but my go to shape for a pasta salad is campanelle (sometimes called gigle too I think - trumpet shape) but I also like lumaconi (snail shape, sometimes called lumache too), they are harder for me to find usually.
They both are fun shapes and have crevices that catch any “sauce” (I like a vinaigrette for my pasta salad as opposed to a mayo based sauce) and some bits of veggies or whatever is in the salad.
Don’t hate it. I guess I had so many bad pasta salad, not a big fan with very tiny pasta as they overcooked easily, small ones like ditalini is fine. I think the only tiny pasta I like is fideo cut spaghetti in soup.
Yes, exactly that! Can’t stand this!
I used cavatappi last time for about 30 people. The shape of it traps a lot of flavor and I think it’s nice looking too.
Very true pilgrim, the kids loved it as children & also now. Sometimes when you’re sick a bowlful of just orzo and broth is so easy to eat and comforting. We make homemade trahana, which is bigger than acine de peppo, and that is very soothing as well.
I don’t trust couscous, another pasta masquerading as a grain. And orecchiette - it looks like a bowl of Barbie diaphragms.
Can you give us a simple tutorial on making trahana? It is similar to making fregola?
