Orzo

[D0do]

Got a packet of this in the cupboard, impulse buy, now wondering what to do with it. Any recommendations?

TIA!

[MrsMoggy]

We are having orzo for tea tonight. Fried leek, courgette and a pepper then added orzo to pan along with some salt, pepper and basil. Add water and veg stock cubes and simmer until the water is sucked up like a risotto. We will add feta and pork meatballs. Rip off of a hello fresh recipe called pork and feta orzotto

[AdaColeman]

Add it to soup, especially good in light summery soup such as courgette or garden vegetables, or pea and lettuce soup.

I like it served along side chicken in white wine sauce, I simmer it with stock till the stock is absorbed, it doesn't take very long.

[OutsSelf]

Vignole, Ottolenghi did a lovel limey one recently in the Guardian , which my lot all lapped up. We didn't have the right veg so I just used a mix the green beany stuff that they had at the market that day. We ate ours with ricotta salata

[BlueEyedBengal]

Love this. Can be put in any soup or tomato sauce to bulk it out. Nice in chicken stew.

[Ginslinger]

I cook it then cool it and add olive oil, sundried tomatoes, something green (peas, beans etc) some olives and capers and then serve it with chicken or grilled haloumi -

[BiggerBoat1]

Actually saw the title of this thread without looking at the topic and thought someone was asking about Orzo as a baby name.

I was about to tell them to go for it!

[BobbinThreadbare123]

www.nationalpost.com/m/risotto+simple+this+quick+easy+orzo+recipe+from+nigella+lawson/9526402/story.html

This. It's a Nigella recipe. It is so bloody delicious. I make it regularly and my family scoff it. I saw her cook it on the telly and googled the recipe, hence the weird newspaper link.

[D0do]

BiggerBoat1

Thanks all, lots of great ideas there.

[foodiemama26]

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/5846/greek-lamb-with-orzo This is my husband’s favourite meal and always goes down well if we have people over for tea.

[blamethecat]

I usually do the nigella one above, it is delicious and pretty quick.
Tried this one last week and even dp thought it was great. scrummylane.com/one-pot-creamy-chicken-bacon-mushroom-orzo/

[foodiemama26]

blamethecat that chicken and bacon orzo looks great, thanks for the recipe!

[D0do]

Everything mentioned on this thread looks great, thanks so much to everyone! I think I'll start with blamethecat's, possibly with the addition of courgettes, and work through all the rest. Mmmmmmmmmmmm!

[ChardonnaysPrettySister]

Toast it lightly before cooking. Even better

[CraftyGin]

We use orzo as an alternative to potatoes or rice. I boil it with a chicken stock cube - nothing fancy and very convenient.

[longtompot]

I once saw a recipe being cooked on a tv programme using orzo and brocolli which I thought I had saved but appear to not have. It was a quick dish, cooked in one pan where the orzo is fried with the brocolli which becomes a sauce. I think it had some sort of soft cheese in it, maybe goats cheese? If this rings a bell with anyone, can you let me know? Many google searches have failed to bring it up for me.

I still have the bag of orzo on my cupboard from when I saw it (several years ago)

[villainousbroodmare]

I love the tip to toast it! Never thought of that.

[cricketmum84]

There's a lovely sw recipe where you make meatballs with pork mince, lemon rind and season, grill them and serve with a fresh tomato sauce and orzo. It's one of my kids favourites!

[cloudtree]

literally toast it in the pan raw before its absorbed any moisture from the stock chardonnays?

[StoatofDisarray]

All the above suggestions sound delicious. I find all pasta revolting except orzo, so I would recommend it to any pasta-refusers.

[ChardonnaysPrettySister]

Yes, until it smells, well, like toast.

Careful, don’t burn it.

My grandmother used to do that.

[MsHomeSlice]

it's also nice in a beefaroni style thing.! When I make lasagne and the ragu is too saucey then I often freeze the leftover "gravy" ....it does have some mince in it, so it isnt just liquid, and use it as stock for another ragu, or beefy type casserole

Anyway I lifted one out once by mistake, thought it was actual bolognese, then realised I had no macaroni to make Beefaroni, and only had a bag of orzo

so I heated the sauce, threw in the orzo, and then finished it in the oven with a big ball of mozzarella ripped up on top and some basil. I do this more than beefaroni now!

[blamethecat]

MsHomeSlice is beefaroni bolognese/ragu with macaroni pasta in it ? Like a pasta bake ?

[MsHomeSlice]

yes, pasta bake...we picked up Beefaroni from The BigBang Theory!

it's a bit of a fling it type of thing, depending on what pasta, how much ragu...sometimes I make it more mac and cheese with the ragu on the top, sometimes it's more pasta bake with an extra layer of cheese sauce on top, plus any random cheese from the fridge.

Did it once with those ready made garlic bread slices on top....carb-tastic!

[chloechloe]

I’m a bit puzzled by this thread. Isn’t Orzo just barley? Are the supermarkets flogging it under the Italian name now in an attempt to make it sound sophisticated and/or bump up the price of something cheap as chips?

For what it’s worth I throw a handful or two into soup to thicken it up. I’ll be giving some of the recipes here a try too!

[ChardonnaysPrettySister]

No, barley is barley. I’m not too keen on it.

Orzo is rice shaped pasta.