It’s just pasta. It’s just little, joint-shaped pasta masquerading as rice. But when this stuff is invited to the right party, it’s addictive and delicious.
My grandmother used to float orzo in bland chicken soup, so my first experience with it was underwhelming. I then had it in some uninspired pasta salads where the orzo was over cooked and the whole salad had practically dissolved into a huge, Greek mess, like the 2004 Olympics. When this simple pasta is cooked perfectly and is allowed to be the main event in a dish, it really works. One of my favorite things about orzo is the way it feels in my mouth…the shape makes huge spoonfuls of the stuff a breeze to eat. Orzo also has a knack for lightening up a dish that rice or some other grain might make cumbersome. For example, here are two of my favorite ways to eat orzo:
White Trash Casserole
This is just a classic chicken and rice casserole that substitutes orzo for the rice. I clearly didn’t invent this recipe, but as usual have borrowed bits from a bunch of recipes I like and have made this new casserole more delicious. For my money, any recipe that uses mayonnaise and a can of Campbell’s soup must hold white Americans accountable, no matter how mouth wateringly amazing the end result is.
- Fry up a diced onion, set aside
- Cook a bunch of orzo for 8 mins, just like any other pasta
- Get about 3.5 cups of cooked chicken ( I pick it off a roast chicken as I eat almost all the skin)
- Mix those first three items and 2 cans French cut green beans (rinse them with water first), small can of chopped up water chestnuts, 1 small jar of pimentos, can of cream of chicken soup, 1 cup mayonnaise ( Miracle Whip would have been white trashier, but grosser), and a couple handfuls of grated cheddar
- Put it in a casserole and bake it at 350 for about 35 mins
- 2. Bachelor Broth
Perfected during lean times both financial and romantic, there’s really nothing to this embarrassingly simple soup. The orzo, instead of rice, makes for a slippery, satisfying bowl of comfort. Hangovers beg for shit like this.
- Cook 2 cups orzo 8 mins, drain
- Add a bunch of chicken stock, juice of one lemon, about 8 turns of a peppermill, and as much grated cheddar cheese as you’d like to the orzo (I toss in about a handful).
- Simmer until the cheese is melted, toss in some chopped cilantro or parsley, drizzle in a little olive oil and have at it.
My favorite orzo recipe – Bobby Flay
Ingredients
3/4 pound orzo, cooked al dente
1 large cucumber, seeded, quartered lengthwise, and sliced
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill, plus extra for garnish
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 cup olive oil, plus additional for brushing shrimp
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3/4 pound feta cheese, crumbled
16 medium shrimp, peeled and de-veined
Directions
Combine orzo, cucumber, green onions, and tomatoes in a large bowl. Place dill, vinegar, and mustard in a blender and blend until smooth. With the motor running, slowly add the olive oil and blend until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Pour the vinaigrette over the orzo mixture and stir well to combine. Gently fold in the feta cheese.
Heat grill to high. Brush shrimp with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill for approximately 2 minutes per side or until just cooked through. Divide orzo salad among 4 take-out containers or plates and top with 4 shrimp. Garnish with additional dill.
here’s one of my favorite orzo recipe…so simple, inexpensive and satisfying…
we called Pastina growing up…..i’m sure there’s variations…..
box of orzo
2 eggs
a cup or more of grated Parmesan cheese
a couple tablespoons butter
cook the orzo, beat the eggs
while the orzo is still hot, stir in the eggs, cheese and butter….
crack some black pepper if you like….and enjoy…!
I also grew up eating pastina!! Still love to make it. Giada De Laurentis has a great recipe for Baked Orzo, found it on food network’s website. Everyone loves it when I make it.
Orzo is so easy to eat,its all about consistency.Oh and yea,Miracle Whip is soo gross.Now,Im not blaming you or Matt for enlarging my girth,but beet salad? burritos? orzo?…..do you deliver?
I love orzo! My Dad would eat tubetini-sp? I only got to eat my Italian Grandmother’s wonderful food (in Utica) every once in a while..I wish I could cook Italian like that..or even attempt to try!! :)
These recipe’s are awesome!!! I can’t wait to make these for my hubby!!!
I wish I had know about orzo growing up. At home carbs were potatoes, rice, bread, and spaghetti (maybe some elbow on occasion). That was it.
I love how orzo really lightens up a dish. Of course, that just means I can eat way more of it. Yay!
For the longest time I have cooked orzo right in the chicken broth. Gives it much more flavor and because most of it cooks down, it’s not really like soup at all but just a pile of chicken flavored orzo. I now make it for my daughter and she loves it. She calls it “loo-loof” (noodles).
thanks..