Cucumber & Pasta Salad Sushi

Our Cucumber & Pasta Salad Sushi was born out of boredom. It was! I was in the kitchen (imagine that) and as I was making a pasta salad with orzo pasta and veggies and I said out loud, “This is boring!” Now, this isn’t necessarily a 100% original idea, but it is close. Semi-close? Now, we have all seen the hollowed-out cucumber stuffed with seafood and such, but to date, I have never witnessed the prepared cucumber stuffed with orzo pasta salad or any pasta salad for that matter. Anyway that was my kinda eureka moment, close enough, right? This is a cool alternative way to serve up a pasta salad, and our boys (and the wife) ate them all up. Maybe it was the thick-cut bacon? Or maybe it was all of the fresh veggies, then again perhaps it was the blistered grape tomatoes? Whatever the reason, it is always nice to see your little ones eating something that is good for them. So, if Cucumber & Pasta Salad Sushi gets the job done then who am I to argue. Check out the full recipe right down there. What are some creative ways you are using to make otherwise unappealing food look appetizing to your picky eaters? We would love to hear your ideas. Leave a comment if you dare!

Ingredients:

1/2 lbs orzo pasta
1 large or 2 medium cucumbers, rinsed. peeled and cut into 2″ rounds
5 grape tomatoes, halved
1 or 2 green onions, sliced
2 garlic cloves, ran through a garlic press
3 slices of crispy thick-cut bacon
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
fresh-cut cilantro
sea salt or Kosher salt to taste
freshly cracked black peppercorns to taste
Tahini or cucumber salad dressing optional

Directions:

Cook thick-cut bacon ahead of time and set pieces on paper towels to absorb excess grease.
Prepare Orzo pasta according to package instructions, when pasta is finished cooking drain, rinse, toss with a tablespoon of EVOO and set aside.
Halve grape tomatoes slice green onions, minced garlic through a garlic press,
Rinse, peel and slice cucumbers into 2″ rounds.
Combine the green onions and minced garlic and toss with the orzo pasta, add sea salt and freshly ground peppercorns to taste.
Core or hollow-out cucumber slices, discarding the seeds and extra cucumber flesh.
Add a 1/2 tablespoon of tahini or cucumber salad dressing on the bottom of the hollowed-out cucumber rounds.
Next, add about a tablespoon of the orzo pasta, green onion, and garlic mixture.
Add a half of a grape tomato and one shard of thick cut bacon.
Finish with a leaf or two of fresh cut cilantro.
Serve.

Be sure to pin our appetizer to your Pinterest board!