Preparation

• While the water comes to a boil, prepare all your vegetables: dice the English cucumber into ½-inch pieces, seed and chop the tomato into ½-inch cubes, cut the artichoke hearts into 1-inch chunks, and chop your fresh herbs. Measure out the olives and set everything aside in separate bowls.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil, then add the dry orzo and cook for 6-10 minutes until al dente. Reserve about ¼ cup of the starchy pasta water before draining, then drain the orzo thoroughly in a colander.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, Dijon mustard, honey, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Season with salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes, whisking until everything is well combined.
• Pour the dressing over the hot orzo while it's still warm and toss gently but thoroughly to coat every piece. Let the dressed orzo sit for about 5 minutes.
• Add the prepared cucumber, tomato, herbs, olives, and artichoke hearts to the dressed orzo. Gently fold everything together and taste to adjust the seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed.
• The salad can be served warm or chilled for 30 minutes to 2 hours. If it seems a bit dry after chilling, drizzle with more olive oil or reserved pasta water and toss gently.