Orzo with Spring Greens and Alliums

This easy, one-skillet meal pairs orzo with the greens that are abundant in the spring — spinach, kale, chard, etc.  It also makes good use of green garlic and spring onions that you might have from thinning the garlic or onion crop in your garden.  It makes for a complete meal on its own or would be wonderful as a hearty side dish or starter.

One-Pan Orzo with Spring Greens and Feta

Adapted from Melissa Clark for New York Times Cooking

Serves: 2 as a main dish or 4-6 as a side or starter

Notes: This one-pan recipe comes together quickly and can be easily adapted for what you might have on hand.  You could easily use garlic cloves in place of the green garlic and more diced onion in place of the scallions or more scallions in place of the diced onion.  The original recipe called for vegetable or chicken broth which I didn’t have and the final result was not lacking.  Dill, cilantro, or a combination would be good in place of the parsley.  Parmesan could take the place of the feta.  Blanched fresh peas or chopped asparagus would be wonderful in place of the frozen peas.

For the greens, I used a combination of spinach and baby kale and simply chopped all of it.  If using mature kale, remove the tough stems and discard.  With chard, remove the stems and chop them and add with the onions to sauté before adding the greens.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 bunch of scallions, trimmed and sliced, divided

⅓ cup onion, diced

3 heads of green garlic, minced

8 cups of greens

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 3/4 cups water

1 cup orzo

1 lemon, zest only

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

¾ cup feta, crumbled, divided

½ cup parsley, chopped, divided

Pepper to taste

Steps

1. Heat a 10-inch skillet over medium heat and melt butter.  Stir in the onion and about three-quarters of the scallions, reserving some of the green for garnish.  Cook for a couple of minutes until softened, stirring frequently, and then add the garlic and cook for another minute.
2. Stir in the chopped greens, adding in batches if needed.  Add ½ teaspoon of salt and continue to cook until the greens are wilted.
3. Stir in water and another ½ teaspoon of salt and bring to a simmer.  Stir in orzo and lemon zest. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until orzo is al dente and most of the liquid is absorbed.
4. Stir in peas, and about three-quarters of the feta and parsley, reserving some cheese and herbs for garnish.  Add 5-6 grinds of fresh pepper and continue cooking for another minute or so until everything is warmed through and incorporated.  
5. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed.  To serve, garnish with feta, scallions, and parsley.

 

Resources

All Photos by Erin Hall and Michael Shveima, used with permission.

“Green Garlic: The Adolescent Allium” by Lindsay-Jean Hard for Food52, https://food52.com/blog/6458-green-garlic-the-adolescent-allium

“Onions, Garlic and Shallots.” VCE Publication 426-411, https://resources.ext.vt.edu/contentdetail?contentid=1063

“Leafy Green Vegetables.” VCE Publication 426-408,  https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/content/dam/pubs_ext_vt_edu/426/426-408/SPES-253.pdf