Herbed Steak with Orzo Caprese Salad (Recipe 154 of 150)

I have a recipe that's similar to this one that is one of my favorite summer salads to bring to a pot luck or something. It's a light salad with simple flavors.

Tonight's dinner would be much better in the summer time. It was delicious, don't get me wrong. It just felt weird having it when it's 39F outside. 

I grilled my steak earlier in the afternoon so it had time to chill. In fact, I made the whole salad around 3pm and let it sit in the fridge for a couple of hours so the flavors could come together. 

While I was eating it, I remembered the Med Orzo Salad I made this summer and realized it too is similar.

I made a enough for a serving for lunch tomorrow too. I might toss in a few olives for good measure tomorrow. I did throw in cucumber tonight because I had just a small end left and needed to use it up. I'll be burping all night, but it was worth it.

I also didn't "cook" the tomatoes and cheese. That's not something I'd enjoy. 

Herbed Steak with Orzo Caprese Salad

Recipe from Our Best Bites

Serves 6

24 ounces steak*

8 ounces grape tomatoes

1/4 ounce parsley (a small bouquet)

8 ounces fresh mozzarella (mozzarella pearls work great!)

4 cloves garlic

12 ounces orzo pasta 

2 tsp Herbes de Provence

2 T balsamic vinegar

1–2 T extra virgin olive oil for the salad, plus more for cooking

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Preheat oven to 400 F.

Chop the parsley, discarding the stems. Wash the tomatoes. Mince or grate the garlic. If you bought a single ball of fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/2″ cubes.

Set steaks out on a plate or plastic cutting board to rest at room temperature. Season both side with salt and pepper and Herbes de Provence. Set aside.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and set aside.

Once the water is boiling, add the orzo to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente (about 9-11 minutes). Drain in a fine mesh strainer.

Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large pan (cast iron if you have one) over medium-high heat. When hot, add the prepared steak and sear 2-3 minutes per side, using tongs instead of a fork to turn the steak. After they have seared on both sides, transfer to the prepared baking sheet and roast in the oven until desired doneness is reached, about 7-10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to rest about 5 minutes.

While the steak is roasting, reduce the heat to the pan you seared the steaks in and add a little more olive oil to the pan. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring gently, for 1-2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Remove the pan from heat.

Add the pasta, balsamic vinegar, 1-2 tablespoons olive oil (this is a great time to use flavors like garlic or lemon), parsley, and mozzarella to the pan with the tomatoes. Stir gently to combine and season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

After the steak has rested for a few minutes, slice it thinly against the grain. Divide the pasta salad between plates (you may have some salad leftover–just serve it cold the next day!) and top with the sliced steak. Garnish with additional minced parsley and serve.