Lemon Orzo with Zucchini, Onion, and Parmesan
August 14, 2014 • Pasta & Pizza
Simple pasta dishes are what I recommend for cooks who are beginning to experiment with cooking without a recipe. You can just add flavors together that seem like they meld, and it’s hard to go wrong. This dish, similar to Spaghetti Alla Nerano that you’ll find near the Amalfi Coast of Italy, seems to hit on many levels: fast, easy, creamy, flavorful, healthy, savory, satisfying, light, summery…I could go on and on, but I think you get the picture!It’s also a dish even beginners can make without a recipe. Simply julienne a small zucchini and half an onion, and while the orzo (2 ounces dry is a serving size) is cooking in boiling water, sauté the vegetables in a small amount of extra virgin olive oil and season with some salt and pepper. If they seem to be drying out, scoop out a bit of the pasta cooking water to add to them. Drain the orzo and stir it into the veggies along with some grated Parmesan cheese, more or less according to your taste. You can add a little more pasta cooking water if you’d like to make it a bit creamier, and cook everything together for another minute and then sit down and dig in. Cooking for more than one? Simply multiply the ingredients. Here’s to a bumper zucchini crop!
Comments
4 Comments • Comments Feed
Sami says:
Where’s the lemon?
August 31, 2014 at 1:41 pm
Michele says:
Sami, I used lemon orzo in this recipe – if you only have plain orzo, add some lemon zest and/or juice to get the lemon flavor.
September 1, 2014 at 7:44 am
Sami says:
Interesting – I’ve never heard of lemon orzo. Adding lemon zest I can do!
September 1, 2014 at 10:42 am
Michele says:
Here’s the supplier that sells at my farmer’s market: http://www.pappardellespasta.com/products/dried-pasta/orzo-pasta/lemon-garlic-orzo
September 2, 2014 at 3:31 pm