Description

Orzo is a small rice-shaped pasta used often in soup. It is also frequently used as a substitute for arborio rice in risotto. Misko Orzo is made from top quality durum wheat semolina. Tastefully delicious orzo provides desired texture for soups, the “heartiness” in a side dish, an element of a caserole, and the pasta in pasta salads.

Orzo are very small pasta – classified as “pastina” in Italian, that resemble grains of flattened rice. This wonderfully versatile pasta is traditionally used in soups, pilafs, salads, side dishes and casseroles. At Niblack Foods, we sell Misko brand which has made traditional Italian-style pasta in Greece since 1927.
Misko Orzo (Risoni/Kritharáki: Rice-Shaped Pasta) is just the ingredient you’ll need for any recipe that calls for orzo. In Greece, orzo are a core component of the classic dish known as “Youvetsi” or “Giouvetsi.” Each family has its own version of this heartwarming casserole, made with ground lamb or beef, sometimes seasoned with garlic and cinnamon, bathed in a light tomato sauce and topped with cheese.
Orzo is also a classic ingredient in the iconic Greek soup, Avgolemono, made with chicken, eggs and lemon. Rice-shaped pasta is a wonderful ingredient for chicken and vegetable soups, barley and rice pilafs and stuffed veggies – instead of rice or quinoa. To enhance the flavor of the orzo, toast it for a few minutes in olive oil, butter, salt and garlic (optional) before adding your cooking liquid. For a simple and delicious warm side dish, add sautéed shallots and chopped spinach to the cooked orzo and top with grated parmesan cheese. Serve with seafood, braised chicken or grilled lamb for a beautiful one-dish meal.
Product Ingredients: Durum wheat semolina, water.

Recipes:

Parmesan Garlic Orzo (25 mins total)

Ingredients

1 cup Misko orzo pasta

¼ cup butter

2 teaspoons Niblack minced garlic

¼ cup Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

½ teaspoon salt and ground black pepper

Directions

Step 1

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook orzo in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain.

Step 2

Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir garlic in melted butter until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir orzo into garlic mixture and mix in Parmesan cheese, milk, parsley, salt, and black pepper.

Nutrition Facts

Per Serving: 327 calories; protein 9.7g; carbohydrates 39.7g; fat 14.3g; cholesterol 35.5mg; sodium 454mg.

 

 

Elegant Orzo with Wilted Spinach and Pine Nuts (30 mins)

Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) package uncooked Misko orzo

½ cup olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

½ teaspoon Niblack minced garlic

½ teaspoon Niblack dried basil

½ teaspoon Niblack crushed red pepper flakes

1 cup Niblack pine nuts

1 (10 ounce) bag baby spinach

⅛ cup balsamic vinegar

1 (8 ounce) package crumbled feta cheese

½ fresh tomato, chopped

salt to taste

 

Directions

Step 1

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. (Firm or slightly undercooked orzo works best for this dish.) Drain, transfer to a mixing bowl, and set aside.

Step 2

Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium high heat, stirring to blend. Stir in garlic, basil, and red pepper flakes, and reduce heat to medium. Stir in pine nuts and cook until lightly browned. Add spinach, cover, and cook on low heat for 5 minutes, or until spinach is wilted.

Step 3

Toss spinach mixture with orzo pasta. Portion onto serving plates with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and a sprinkling of crumbled feta cheese and chopped tomatoes. Allow guests to adjust seasoning with salt, as needed. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Per Serving: 550 calories; protein 17.4g; carbohydrates 49.1g; fat 32.5g; cholesterol 32.9mg; sodium 514.3mg.