Description
A flavorful side dish so versatile it will compliment any main course.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound orzo (one small box)
- 2 T butter
- 2 T olive oil
- zest from one lemon
- 4 garlic cloves; minced
- juice from one lemon
- 1 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil)
- 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh basil
- 1 cup feta cheese (plain or garlic herb)
Instructions
The Prep Work:
- Wash and dry the lemon, then grate the rind for the lemon zest.
- Slice the lemon in half and squeeze its juice into a glass or measuring cup.
- Drain and slightly chop the sun-dried tomatoes just a bit.
- Wash and pat dry the basil, then cut the leaves into slivers and then chop a bit more. Set all of these aside.
Preparing the Orzo:
- Start a pot of water boiling. Once your water is boiling, add orzo, using a whisk to prevent any clumping.
- While the orzo is cooking, use a large skillet to heat butter and olive oil on medium. Then add lemon zest and garlic, cooking until fragrant.
- Boil the orzo until tender, being careful not to overcook, as it can get mushy quickly!
- Once the orzo is cooked, pour it into a strainer and rinse it just a bit.
- Add the cooked orzo to the warm skillet. Stir the orzo, coating it with the olive oil, lemon zest and garlic.
- Now you can remove the skillet from the heat and add lemon juice, sun-dried tomatoes, and basil.
- Lastly, top with the feta cheese and use salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
- We like it best served warm, but it is also excellent as leftovers straight from the fridge.
- You can substitute or add in other greens, such as spinach or arugula with the basil.
- We have used goat cheese crumbles instead of feta in a pinch- and it was great.
- Consider making it into a main dish by grilling and adding Italian Sausage.
- Not everyone loves olives, but if you do, adding chopped Kalamatas adds a pop of flavor that compliments the dish nicely.
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 15 min