Orzo, a rice shaped small-cut pasta, is also called risoni (literally mean big rice)! Many people mistake orzo to be a grain. but actually it is a pasta.
Orzo pasta is very versatile. It's small shape makes it perfect for many kind of recipes. Orzo is very common used in salads and in soups, and also perfect for making quick sides for meat main course. You can even use it to make pilaf just as you would with any long grain rice.
Orzo should be cooked same way as we cook any other pasta. It does not take very long to cook, and taste heartier than rice.
Whole Wheat Orzo - If you avoid eating white flour pastas, Orzo pasta is also available in whole wheat. Whole wheat orzo is little darker in color and has a nutty texture (wheat) texture. (Picture above shows whole wheat orzo pasta).
To cook Orzo Pasta:
1. Bring a pot of water to rolling boil. Season it with salt as you would season any pasta water.
2. Drop in the orzo pasta and boil for 9-10 minutes, or unil pasta is al dente (cooked to your liking). Or follow the cooking instruction of the package of orzo.
3. Once orzo has cooked, drain the water and use pasta as recipe suggests.
Note: You can always reserve few tablespoons of pasta-cooking-liquid to moisten the pasta later, if it gets dry due to setting for too long.
To make some recipes with orzo pasta, follow the link.
