Sun-Dried Tomato and Spinach Orzo (One-Pan, 30-Minute Meal)
Sun-Dried Tomato and Spinach Orzo is a quick and easy meal that comes together in just 30 minutes, using only one pan. It makes a fantastic meatless main course. You can also serve it as a side dish with your favorite proteins, such as grilled, baked, or pan-seared meats, chicken, or seafood.
In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil on medium heat. Add minced garlic, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, chopped artichokes, and fresh spinach. Cook, stirring until the spinach wilts.
To the skillet with sautéed vegetables, add cooked orzo, 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice, and capers. Cook on medium-low heat, stirring, for about 1 minute.
The dish should be salty enough from capers. If it's not, add more salt (or capers), if needed.
Notes
This recipe uses cooked orzo. Here is how to cook orzo:
Proportion. Cook orzo together with chicken stock (or vegetable stock, or water) in 1:2 proportion, for example, 1 cup of orzo in 2 cups of water, or 1.5 cups of orzo in 3 cups of water.
Cooking time. Cook according to package instructions, which usually means 10 minutes. You might have to add a small amount of liquid (if the orzo is too dry) and stir it a couple of times to make sure it doesn't dry out and doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.
Orzo cooks in a similar way as rice. In other words, all the water should be absorbed by the orzo.
Use the same skillet. You can cook orzo in the same skillet as you use in this recipe, before cooking all the vegetables (to keep it a one-pan meal).