Cooking curator: Mexican Orzo Salad

For a recent BBQ with fellow American expats in Italy, I promised to bring the pasta salad. I happen to have a favorite, one that is much lighter than any mayo'd thing you've had before. This is always a risk, the pasta salad is an institution in the Midwest, but it payed off, everyone was both surprised and happy.

In discussing the recipe, I confessed I don't have it, I just know the main elements in it: Orzo pasta, 2 types of bean, corn, small onions, 2 colors of bell pepper, canola oil, lime juice and cilantro (more than 5 ingredients, but it all just goes in a bowl). It doesn't feel right to write a recipe here, since there is no personal twist or family secret to share. But I simply can't not share this dish in its cool, hearty, lean, colorful beauty. So this week, I'll be your cooking curator and link you to a pretty good recipe. (Here's a backup)

Now about the salad itself, which I tried for the first time at a Latin cooking demo some years ago, what makes it work is its mix of contradictions:

• The orzo pasta is so small, soft and hearty. (As an aside, this pasta is called Risoni in Italy. If you ask for orzo you will get barley. Don't ask how I know.)
• The beans are a great source of protein and have a mushy texture, not very different from the pasta.
• The small onions and the bell pepper: when you rest the salad, the flavor squeezes from them into the lime and oil, so when you bite them you don't get a sting, but rather a mild crunchiness.
• The corn adds some natural sweetness.
• The cilantro and lime are the basics of mexican cuisine, don't be shy with them.
• The canola oil coats everything nicely without overpowering the rest of the ingredients. If you must substitute, use corn or soy oil, never olive, which is too strong for this occasion.

There you go, a go-to for your next potluck or garden party. I have heard it works great for camping as well. Once you make it let me know, what was your favorite part of it?