Killer Pasta

I like to think that I have a pretty good grasp of both the English language and the exotic food language, but sometimes I am surprised by the pronunciation of a word. 

Orecchiette one of those words. I have always thought it was pronounced "orca - chet - ee" and therefore the little ear pasta has always reminded me of big and beautiful orcas. 

The correct pronunciation is of orecchiette is "o - reck - ee - ay - tay". So, there really isn't anything in the word that screams killer whales. 

But I still think that orecchiette is a killer pasta. And more importantly, this recipe that's inspired by a similar one from June's Chatelaine is really killer!

Orecchiette and Corn Salad - serves 8

1 1/2 cups of orecchiette, or other small pasta (measured when dry)
4-5 cobs of corn
2 cups of frozen peas
1/2 cup of feta cheese, crumbled or roughly chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 bunch of green onions, chopped
1/2 bunch of cilantro, roughly chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Boil water in a large pot and add pasta to cook.

2. Cook pasta for about 8-10 minutes and then add the cobs of corn and frozen peas. Continue to cook for another 2-5 minutes.

3. Drain pasta and veggies and let cool.

4. While pasta is cooking, prepare the salad dressing. In a large bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, lime juice, and honey. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Slice corn off the cobs and add to the salad dressing, along with the feta, green onions, peas, pasta, and cilantro. Toss and serve.

When I was in Hawaii a few months ago, I had lunch on a hill overlooking the ocean and saw killer whales below.

I may not have gotten a shot of the whales, but I did manage to take a few shots of Luke surfing near the same water!