Orzo Pasta Recipe with Spinach and Parmesan (2024)

FAQs

What is the point of orzo pasta? ›

Orzo can be used in a variety of cooking, and in Italy it serves as a staple all year round since it is most commonly be found in cold salads or comforting soups. For example, it is often used when making 'wedding soup', an Italian delicacy traditionally made using green vegetables, beef and pork meatballs.

Orzo can be an ingredient in soup, including avgolemono, a Greek soup, and in Italian soups like minestrone. It can also be part of a salad, a pilaf, or giouvetsi, or baked in a casserole. It can also be boiled and lightly fried, to create a dish similar to risotto.

Orzo and rice are not exact substitutions. Their differing textures ensure that your final dish will have a different quality if you substitute one for the other. You'll also find that the cooking times and temperatures for each vary widely. Orzo has a creamier and softer texture than rice.

You can measure out orzo and should plan on about 1/4 cup (or 2 ounces) dry pasta per person. Orzo will more than double in size when cooked so don't worry, there will be enough.

Orzo also has a higher fiber content than rice as well. Orzo does, however, have a higher carbohydrate content per serving, but not by much. Due to the higher protein and fiber content, orzo will leave you feeling fuller for longer which is helpful for those trying to lose weight.

Orzo is commonly made from white flour, but it can be made from whole-grain flour as well, making it a healthier pasta option. A two oz. serving of orzo is 200 calories. This small pasta is a good source of carbohydrates; one serving of orzo contains 42 grams of carbohydrates and two grams of fiber.

Test Kitchen Tip

Rinse the orzo only if it will be baked or served cool in a salad. Otherwise, do not rinse; rinsing removes a light coating of starch that helps sauces and seasonings cling to the pasta.

Orzo is a rice-shaped pasta also known as risoni. Orzo may also refer to: Orzo, the Italian name for the cereal grain barley (Hordeum vulgare); sometimes encountered in English-language works on Italian cuisine.

Though orzo pasta does not have a direct city in Italy as its place of origin, the ingredients prove prominent all over the country, where locals call it risoni. In fact, the word orzo means "barley," in Italian, and while the uncooked orzo looks like the grain, the two don't have much else in common.

Orzo and asparagus are low-glycemic foods, making this recipe great for those who need to control their blood sugar.

What is a healthier version of orzo? ›

What is a healthy substitute for orzo? Cauliflower rice, corn, quinoa, pearl barley, buckwheat, and couscous are all great healthy substitutes for orzo. Lentils and wild rice are also really healthy and good replacements.

Grain type: Perhaps the most significant difference between orzo and risotto is the type of grain used to make them. Orzo is a type of wheat pasta, and risotto is made with short-grain starchy arborio rice. Risotto is a dish unto itself, and orzo is a specific type of pasta that cooks can use to make various dishes.

Boil the orzo about 10 minutes or until it has a firm, chewy texture, stirring occasionally to prevent it from sticking together. Drain orzo in a colander. For the best flavor and texture, serve the orzo immediately after cooking.

Boil 1/2 cups water for each cup orzo. Add 1/4 tsp salt, then the orzo and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente and most of the water is absorbed, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Add Orzo. Add 1 cup dried orzo (about 6 ounces) to boiling water. This yields 2 cups cooked: 4 servings of ½ cup each.

As white rice is not as dense, these serves deliver a similar weight of food. These have a similar carbohydrate content but orzo delivers twice the protein of brown rice and a few more kilojoules. These are all low in fat.

Macaroni, a classic pasta shape, is a convenient substitute for orzo. Its tubular form holds sauces well, making it ideal for pasta salads and cheesy casseroles. I personally love this pasta shape as a replacement for orzo. It's slightly bigger than orzo but keeps its shape, whilst also soaking up all the sauce.

While orzo is shaped like grains of rice and sometimes confused with rice, it is completely different. Rice is a grain, orzo is a pasta. "[Orzo] has a higher protein content, a greater consistency, and the flavor of durum wheat semolina,” says Rummo.

It's often confused for a grain because of its small shape, but it is a dough that's rolled, cut, and dried just like any other pasta. Orzo has a mild, neutral taste just like pasta. Its small size gives it a velvety mouthfeel and springy texture.