This dish is a pleasant mix of Italian flavors that may transport you straight to the center of Tuscany.
With elements like orzo, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, garlic, Parmesan cheese, and onions, this recipe will not be solely tasty but in addition easy to organize.
Whether or not you’re serving it alongside a important course or having fun with it as a lightweight lunch, Creamy Tuscan Orzo is certain to please your style buds and match inside your dietary targets.
The Elements
Orzo: A sort of brief minimize pasta that’s low in fats and wealthy in carbohydrates, which supplies a gradual supply of power. It additionally has the next fiber content material than rice.
Solar-Dried Tomatoes: Not like contemporary tomatoes, their intense style comes from the dehydration course of, which removes water however leaves behind all of the important flavors and vitamins.
Full of antioxidants like lycopene, sun-dried tomatoes are usually not simply flavorful but in addition extremely nutritious. Lycopene is understood for its potential well being advantages, together with decreasing the danger of sure power illnesses and selling coronary heart well being.
These tomatoes are additionally wealthy in nutritional vitamins C and Okay, together with important minerals resembling iron and potassium.
Contemporary Spinach: This leafy inexperienced is filled with nutritional vitamins A, C, and Okay, all of that are important for sustaining good well being. Vitamin A is essential for imaginative and prescient and immune operate, vitamin C helps the immune system and pores and skin well being, and vitamin Okay is necessary for blood clotting and bone well being.
Moreover, spinach is an effective supply of iron, which helps transport oxygen all through the physique, and calcium, which is important for bone well being.
Incorporating spinach into this dish is a superb approach to increase its dietary content material with out including many energy.
Hen Broth: I used this as an alternative of water so as to add extra taste to the orzo. If you’d like a vegetarian dish you possibly can use vegetable broth as an alternative.
Fats Free Half and Half: As a substitute of utilizing cream I used fats free half and half. It provides creaminess to the dish at a fraction of the factors.
Parmesan Cheese: Shredded Parmesan cheese provides a wealthy, salty, savory taste to the orzo.
Yellow Onion: Utilizing yellow onion added a style of sweetness to the dish. I sautéed the onion in additional virgin olive oil earlier than including the orzo.
Garlic: Contemporary garlic is a should for this recipe. Utilizing a garlic press makes it very straightforward to mince the garlic.
Seasonings: Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper had been used to season the orzo.
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The best way to Make Creamy Tuscan Orzo
I restricted the quantity of oil on this recipe so it’s finest to make use of a nonstick skillet.
Warmth the nonstick skillet over medium warmth. Add the olive oil and chopped onions.
Sauté the onions for 3 minutes. Add the minced garlic and proceed to sauté for 1 minute.
Add the orzo, hen broth, fats free half and half, solar dried tomatoes, and Italian seasoning to the pan. Deliver it to a boil then cut back the warmth to medium-low and simmer for 8 minutes.
Stir the spinach and Parmesan cheese into the orzo and prepare dinner for 1 minute.
Serving Ideas
Creamy Tuscan Orzo pairs excellently with grilled hen breast or fish. Each might be ready so they’re 0 factors or low in factors.
For a vegetarian choice, contemplate serving it alongside roasted greens or a hearty vegetable stew. Merely exchange the hen broth within the orzo with vegetable broth.
For those who’re on the lookout for one thing lighter, a contemporary backyard salad with a easy French dressing dressing generally is a nice accompaniment.
For a extra indulgent choice, contemplate serving Creamy Tuscan Orzo with a aspect of garlic bread or focaccia. The bread can be utilized to scoop up any remaining sauce, making the meal much more pleasing.
Creamy Tuscan Orzo
Yield: 8 servings (1/3 cup per serving)
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Elements
-
1
cup
orzo (raw) -
2
cups
hen broth -
1/4
cup
fats free half and half -
1
teaspoon
additional virgin olive oil -
1
small yellow onion, finely chopped -
2
cloves
garlic, minced -
1/2
teaspoon
Italian seasoning -
1/2
cup
solar dried tomatoes -
1
cup
child spinach, packed -
1/2
cup
Parmesan cheese, shredded - Salt and pepper, to style
Directions
-
Add the oil to a nonstick skillet over medium warmth. Add the chopped onions and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the minced garlic and proceed to sauté for 1 minute.
-
Add the orzo, hen broth, solar dried tomatoes, fats free half and half, and Italian seasoning. Deliver it to a boil then cut back the warmth to medium-low and simmer for 8 minutes, stirring sometimes.
-
Stir the spinach and Parmesan cheese into the orzo and prepare dinner for 1 minute. It is best served when heat.
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