Meatless Monday: Orzo

Orzo pasta. Small. Rice shaped. Perfect. This post all about Orzo. Just look at it.

Isn't it lovely? Isn't it wonderful? (Yep, I serenade my good with Stevie lyrics. judge me.) But let's talk about why I love it. 

Orzo pasta is a short cut pasta that is similar to the shape of rice. It's light and fluffy and will become a go-to pasta in your pantry. Below are 5 things I like about orzo. 

1. Orzo is versatile, I've used orzo in soups, salads, casseroles. I've used it hot and old. This little noodle can do no wrong. 

2. Orzo is fairly quick cooking. I've made a pot on the stove in about 9 minutes. I've also made a batch in the microwave, covered in 7 &1/2 minutes. 

3. Orzo is a great change out instead of rice. We eat a lot of rice in our family, so when I'm over rice, I boil up a bot of orzo instead. It's a great alternative. 

4. The small yet, full shape of orzo is perfect for little fingers. Once booked, orzo blooms quite nicely, which helps little fingers pick it up and self feed. I'm all about dishes I can make for all 3 of us, and orzo pasta helps me do the trick. 

5. Shelf stable. Like all pastas orzo is shelf stable, which means I can keep it on hand and drop it in a dish or boil some up as a side for something quick and easy. 

Quick tip recipe: Warm Orzo Salad: Boil up 1 cup of orzo according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.  Chop a handful of halved cherry tomatoes, handful of parsley and a half of a shallot. Toss together with reserved orzo, season with salt, pepper. Drizzle a little Sweet Balsamic dressing. Toss gently to combine. Serve warm and enjoy!

I hope you'll befriend Orzo. It's truly a noodle for any job.

Candace Boyd Wylie is an Indianapolis, Indiana native who believes in the power of a good meal.  She is the Recipe developer, Content creator and Recipe slanger at FoodLoveTog. FoodLoveTog is a food blog that is dedicated to sharing good eats and food for the soul. Candace is a wife, mother, daughter, sister and CWUW supporter. She can be found on the web at FoodLoveTog and at BoydWyliePhoto