Cucumber & Pasta Salad Sushi is crazy cool and delicious! The cored cucumber is the perfect medium for pasta and other fresh garden goodies! And there’s bacon.
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, 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 seen a 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 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, run 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 dressingis optional
Directions:
- Cook thick-cut bacon ahead of time, then set the 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, and mince garlic through a garlic press,
- Rinse, peel, and slice cucumbers into 2″ rounds.
- Combine the green onions and minced garlic, then 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.
More Cucumber Recipes:
Sweet Corn Cucumber & Dill Salad
Ingredients
- 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
Instructions
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.
Lois Alter Mark says
Okay, that is the cutest idea ever! They look great and I bet they’re delicious!
Carol Bryant says
This is too cute to eat. I bet they make a nice tasty snack, too. Lovely idea!