ORZO, SPINACH AND FETA

Orzo, is sometimes called Italian rice and its translation means barley, from which orzo was originally made. However, in common usage in North America, orzo is understood to mean pasta.  Orzo has a rice shape and is made from hard wheat.  I don’t cook often with orzo and after making a great dish with it for supper tonight, I plan to use it more often.  In some ways I would prefer using it in pasta salads or other dishes that require a small pasta shape than the usual small pasta shells, macaroni or rotini.     

You can use either feta cheese or parmesan in this recipe and I used a ¼ cup of parmesan.  You could go to ½ a cup if you wanted a stronger cheese flavor.   This recipe is definitely a keeper and I plan to make it often.  There are lots of vegetable variations you can do including adding artichokes, hearts of palms or broccoli.  This dish can be served warm or cold.

ORZO, SPINACH AND FETA CHEESE

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup orzo

1 small bag of spinach, chopped

¼ cup feta crumbled or parmesan cheese, grated

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tomato, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Cook orzo and during the last two to three of minutes of cooking, add the chopped spinach to the pot.  Drain the pasta and spinach well.  Place into a serving bowl and add the rest of the ingredients.  Serves 3 to 4.