Fresh Orzo Pasta Salad

This recipe is a mash up of other recipes I've seen. I just added what I liked and what sounds good together. It's different each time I make it, but always wonderful. I don't measure anything, it's up to you what you want and don't want. Below is the general list of what I put in mine and you can decide what you want more or less of. My main input is to chop everything super small so you get all the flavors in one bite. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
- 1/2 package Orzo Pasta (1/2 package for 4-6 people, full package for more)
- 1-2 small to medium tomatoes
- fresh basil leaves (I just purchase the small package in the refrigerated lettuce section) ***
- 1 can black beans (drain well, really well)
- bell peppers of choice (I usually use yellow and red)
- 1 granny smith apple
- 1 lime (hint: microwave your lime before cutting about 10 seconds, roll on the counter afterwards, then cut and juice/squeeze... so much easier and more juicier!)
- 1 avocado (optional and added upon serving, not in the salad itself because it will brown)
- fresh shredded parmesan cheese (or any other of your favorite cheeses)
- couple handfuls spinach leaves (I buy a small bag from the store if I don't already have any)
- Ken's LITE Balsamic Vinaigrette (It's more concentrated with less oil)
(You could also add some Costco canned chicken to the mix if you want some meat in it)

Instructions:
Cook orzo pasta 1-2 less than the package says (mine says 9 minutes, so I do about 7-8 minutes). Make sure it's fully cooked, not overcooked. Drain, rinse, put in a bowl with some of the balsamic dressing. I just make sure the orzo is soupy, it will soak up the dressing (and that's why you cook it less time, to soak up dressing and less water). Throw that in the fridge while you cut all the veggies to cool and soak in the goodness.

Cut however much veggies you want in your salad. I never measure, so it's different every time depending on what I have and what I'm feeling. I usually cut 2 tomatoes, lots of basil, 3/4 to an entire can of black beans, a quarter of each bell pepper, 1/2 to an entire apple (really small).

Once you have your mixture of veggies that you want, add the pasta, spinach and parmesan cheese and mix well. Squeeze the fresh lime juice on top for taste as well as salt and pepper. Around this time I always add more dressing. (For 4-6 people I make 1/2 a package of orzo and add about 1/2 of the dressing or more). People can always add more when they want, but this pasta soaks it up really well, so be generous.

Refrigerate for a couple of hours so the pasta is cooled and all the flavors are mixed well.

Serve cold with cut avocado (with lime juice and salt and pepper on top - great snack too). You can always add more veggies of choice or dressing when you want or have more spinach and less orzo.

***The most important part of this salad to me is the basil, so make sure to put in a lot (or however much you want, but you want to make sure you can taste the basil).

ALSO, this can be made a day/night before, just keep the pasta and dressing separate from the veggies, then refrigerator both until use and mix well. (I also keep the basil and bell peppers separate so that everything doesn't taste so strongly of that. Then mix everything)