My family absolutely loves California Rolls. It is always shocking to me how many my kids can eat, especially my younger ones. If you love California Rolls too, you have to try this delicious pasta salad. It has all of the great flavors of the sushi roll, but with far less work. Despite its rice-like shape and name (orzo means “barley” in Italian), orzo is indeed pasta. It originates from Italy and is a very versatile ingredient. It can be used in soups, salads, side dishes, and even as a base for a fake risotto due to its ability to absorb flavor and create a creamy texture. You can find it in your grocery store next to the other pasta.
Cook the orzo. Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the orzo with a few pinches of kosher salt. Cook the orzo according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water to cool it and keep it from sticking together. Prepare the vegetables. While the orzo is cooking, cut the cucumber into small long bite-sized pieces and the avocado into small bite-sized pieces. Make the salad. Combine the cooked orzo, cucumber, avocado, and crab together in a large bowl. Add the dressing. Stir in the olive oil, sesame oil, vinegar, and soy sauce. Finally, stir in the sesame seeds.
Use plenty of water. Use a large pot of water to cook your orzo. This allows plenty of space for the pasta to move freely and prevents clumping, ensuring even cooking. Salt the water. I always use salt to season the pasta while it’s cooking. Normally when we cook a pound of pasta we want to use 1 to 2 teaspoons of kosher salt. Because we are only cooking a cup here, we want to add a few pinches. Make sure the water is really boiling. You want to see large, rolling bubbles before adding your dry orzo. Set a timer. Follow the directions on the package and set a timer as soon as the pasta is added to the boiling water. Orzo continues to cook a bit even after draining, so slightly undercooked is better than overcooked. Rise the pasta. Typically rinsing pasta after it cooks is a no-no. However, because the orzo is going in a cold pasta salad, I like to rinse it with cold water after draining the orzo to cool it down and stop it from cooking.
Keep this pasta salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. If it is left out for more than two hours, toss it.
