Roasted Asparagus Lemon Orzo Salad

The second Easter without Baba. Easier than the first, in the way that a second injury to the same spot is easier — you already know the pain, you have already survived it, and the scar tissue has begun to form. I roasted the lamb on the spit in my Tampa backyard, turning it for eight hours while the neighborhood filled with smoke and lemon and the sound of Greek music playing from my phone propped against a flowerpot.

Mama came down from Tarpon Springs. She sat in the lawn chair again, but this time she talked. She told stories about Baba — about the time he tried to cook and nearly burned down the kitchen, about the Easter he dropped the lamb in the dirt and picked it up and served it anyway and told no one until Mama found grass in the basting liquid. She laughed. We all laughed. The stories are shifting from elegies to comedies, which is how Greek grief works — eventually the tears become punchlines because the Greeks invented both tragedy and comedy and sometimes the distance between them is nothing more than time.

Alexander helped turn the spit for three hours this year, which is an improvement over last year's two. He is learning the patience that the lamb requires. Sophia made the horiatiki salad — her first real contribution to the Easter meal — and she cut the tomatoes too thick and the cucumbers too thin and the onion rings were uneven and it was perfect because it was hers.

Yia-yia Despina was there, eighty-nine years old, eating lamb with a focus that suggested she was memorizing the flavor. I watched her eat and thought: how many more Easters will I have with this woman? How many more chances to sit next to her and listen to her say the lamb was better when she made it, which it was, and which she said, and which I agreed with because Despina's lamb was always better and admitting it is not defeat, it is respect.

I ate standing up, a plate in one hand and a glass of wine in the other, watching my family spread across my backyard like a beautiful, noisy painting. The lamb was perfect. The grief was present but manageable, a guest at the table who no longer dominates the conversation. I turned the spit and I thought: I am doing this. I am carrying this forward. Next year and the year after and every year until my arms say stop. The lamb takes eight hours. It is never rushed. Neither is healing.

Sophia’s horiatiki was imperfect and irreplaceable, and it made me think about the other salads I want to teach her — the ones with lemon and olive oil and vegetables that taste like spring arriving right on time. This roasted asparagus lemon orzo salad is one I’ve been making for a few years now, and it belongs at an Easter table the way the season belongs to the Greeks: bright, a little sharp, generous. It is simple enough that a child can learn it, and good enough that no one will care about the uneven cuts.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups dry orzo pasta
1 lb fresh asparagus, woody ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Zest of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/4 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons fresh mint, roughly chopped (optional)

Instructions

Roast the asparagus. Preheat oven to 425°F. Spread asparagus pieces on a rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat and roast for 12–15 minutes, until tender and lightly caramelized at the edges. Remove and let cool slightly.
Cook the orzo. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook orzo according to package directions until al dente, about 8–9 minutes. Drain and rinse briefly under cold water to stop cooking. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
Make the lemon dressing. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and minced garlic. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Combine. Pour the dressing over the warm orzo and toss well to coat. Add the roasted asparagus, red onion, parsley, and mint if using. Toss gently to combine everything evenly.
Finish and serve. Top with crumbled feta. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more lemon juice or salt as needed. Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled — it holds well for several hours and is excellent the next day.

Nutrition (per serving)

Roasted Asparagus Lemon Orzo Salad — Sophia’s First Contribution to the Easter Table