Orzo is a type of wheat semolina pasta that is shaped like a grain of rice, and is quite common in vegan recipes. Since it is an ingredient that can bring many benefits to your health, adding it to the diet will help you to enjoy a better well-being.
Know some details about orzo
This pasta has its origin in Italy, where it is known as risone, although it is used in many Mediterranean countries, such as Greece, Cyprus or Turkey, as well as in places in the Middle East.
It can be found dry or fresh, with a neutral or flavorized aroma, even colored with spinach, beets, carrots, or other vegetables. It is perfect for salads or soups, even as a base to fill peppers, zucchini, eggplants, or onions.
It is low in fat, and along with a good protein content that helps muscle growth, and improves the health of bones and tissues, Orzo Riceselect really means a good wealth of benefits.
Some vitamins and minerals, such as niacin, folic acid, zinc and manganese are present in this pasta. It even has high amounts of antioxidants that help combat free radicals. It is a perfect food for diets, increasing energy and maintaining the feeling of satiety, especially if combined with other foods.
Orzo pasta can be included into any vegan or vegetarian diet in many ways, either with stuffed tomatoes, with mushrooms and spinach, making a risotto with broccoli and peas, combined with vegetables or vegan youvetsi, and many other preparations. When it comes to preparing recipes that do not contain ingredients of animal origin, there are countless possibilities and many of them go hand-to-hand with Orzo.
Vegan orzo with spinach and lemon
Ingredients
- Olive oil or any other with neutral taste.
- Garlic pressed or chopped.
- Sliced mushrooms (vegan chicken strips or slices of vegan Italian sausages can be used as well).
- Salt and pepper.
- Orzo pasta, both normal and gluten-free.
- Vegetable broth to flavor the preparation.
- Baby spinach, kale or chard.
- Lemon juice.
Method of preparation
- Sauté the sliced mushrooms along with two tablespoons of olive oil and a pinch of salt for about three to five minutes.
- Add two or three chopped or minced garlic cloves, and let it cook an additional minute.
- Then add 1 lb (450 g) of orzo to the mixture, stirring very well to cover all the pasta. Add a cup of broth.
- Stir frequently over medium heat, then add extra broth cups over the next ten to twelve minutes, until the orzo is creamy.
- When all the broth is absorbed, add the baby spinach, and cover the preparation with a lid.
- Let stand for about two or three minutes until the spinach is done. Add the lemon juice and stir again.
- It can be served garnished with fresh basil and roasted pine nuts.
Baked zucchini and orzo
Ingredients
- 7 oz (200 g) of zucchini cut in halves.
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
- 1 oz (28 g) of butter.
- 2 chopped onions.
- 3 chopped garlic cloves.
- 3 courgettes grated thick.
- 1 lb (500 g) of orzo.
- A glass of white wine.
- 1/3 quarts of vegetable stock.
- 3 oz (85 g) of parmesan or a vegan alternative to taste.
- A slice of white bread in crumbs.
Method of preparation
- The oven should be preheated to 430 – 460 F (220 – 240°C).
- In a roasting pan with olive oil, put the zucchini to bake for 10 minutes, until it gets some color.
- Lower the oven to 320 F (160°C) if gas or 350 F (180°C) if fan.
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and butter and sauté the onions and garlic until they soften. Add the grated zucchini and raise the heat, cooking until softened.
- Then add the orzo and wine for a minute, then turn off and pour the broth with a little seasoning, and the vegan alternative to Parmesan.
- Place the container in the oven and add the zucchini on top, leaving to bake for about fifteen minutes.
- Take it out of the oven, spread the breadcrumbs and bake for 10 more minutes.
Thanks to the orzo pasta you can enjoy delicious vegan or vegetarian recipes, taking good care of your health. As you can see the two recipes are very easy to make, even if you have no experience in cooking.
