Pilfered Pea and Orzo Salad

I call it “pilfered” because a friend of mine used to work at a popular restaurant that had this colorful, delectable salad on the menu, and I asked him for the recipe. That particular restaurant was part of a large corporation and, therefore, was extremely protective with its recipes, but my friend gave it to me on the sly – after I’d been sworn to secrecy.  Thus, it’s pilfered, and this is the version that has been reduced down from restaurant-sized quantities (from gallons down to ounces).

In a large bowl, mix together:

• 1 pound frozen petite peas, thawed and dried
• 1/3 pound dry orzo, cooked al dente
• 2 ounces (~4 strips) bacon, cooked and chopped fine
• 2 – 7 oz. cans water chestnuts, coarsely chopped
• 2 ounces red onion, diced fine (I soak the onion briefly after chopping it, to tame the flavor a bit)

In a small bowl, mix the dressing:

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 tsp. white pepper
• 1 tsp. kosher salt

Dress to serve – i.e. don’t mix the dry ingredients  with the dressing until you’re ready to plate or serve it, so the peas will stay fresh and bright green.