Yasemin's Kitchen: Orzo Pilaf with Red Peppers

Orzo Pilaf with Bellpeppers

Orzo is most commonly used in soups in Turkish Cuisine. Growing up, when we had a cold, mom used to make chicken soup with orzo, it always made you feel better. It makes a pretty good pilaf, but you need to roast it before you cook the pilaf. Otherwise, it would be like a sticky pasta. This version has bellpeppers and onions to add flavor, but you can get creative and add pine nuts, garbanzo beans and other cooked vegetables to spice it up.

Ingredients:

1 cup orzo pasta
2 table spoons olive oil
2 cups boiling chicken broth or water
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup bell peppers, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Place orzo in a large pan. Over medium heat, roast the orzo until it is golden brown. I usually roast the whole package of orzo (about 3 cups). I use some and I save the rest in a jar to use it as garnish when cooking regular white rice pilafs.

Chop onions and bellpeppers. You can use red ones or a mix of different color bellpeppers. Combine olive oil, onions and bell peppers in a pan. Sauté until onions are golden brown, set aside. Place orzo in a large pan. Over medium heat, roast the orzo until it is golden brown. I usually roast the whole package of orzo (about 3 cups). I use some and I save the rest in a jar to use it as garnish for regular white rice pilafs.

Add 2 cups of chicken broth or boiling water, sautéed onions and bell peppers, salt and pepper. When it starts to boil, lower the heat to low, place lid over the pot, and let it simmer until orzo is cooked.
Transfer to a serving dish. Serve hot.