NYT's Orzo with Spinach & Feta
My notes read, "this is perfect."
by Erin Henderson
If I'm ever tapped out of dinner inspiration, I almost always turn to Melissa Clark of The New York Times to see what she's cooking. And she's always got something, and it's always simple, straight-forward and delicious.
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This 30-minute orzo is packed with flavour, and has just enough spinach to make you feel really good about yourself. It's on heavy rotation in my kitchen as its just so easy to add as a side to any protein – from seared shrimp to roast chicken – and works in any season.
NYT's Orzo With Spinach and Feta
This dish does a lot of heavy lifting: it saves beautifully for leftovers, which also means its a fantastic make-ahead side. It's also excellent as a vegetarian main.
I've added chili pepper and lemon juice to the recipe, but no other edits. According to my notes this is perfect.
Makes: about 4 cups
Chef level: easy
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup green onions, thinly sliced
- 2 Tbsp garlic cloves, minced
- 8 cups baby spinach coarsely chopped
- Salt
- 1 tsp Aleppo pepper or chili flakes, optional
- 1¾ cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 cup orzo
- 1 tsp grated lemon zest
- Lemon juice from half a lemon
- ¾ cup crumbled feta, plus more for garnish
- ½ cup frozen peas,
- 1 cup fresh dill, chopped
How to Make It:
- In a high-sided pan over medium heat add the butter, oil and garlic. The garlic will infuse the fats as the pan heats up.
- Once the butter has melted add the green onions, allowing to soften, about a minute.
- Add in the spinach, in batches if necessary, and allow to wilt under the heat. Gently season with a little salt and the Aleppo pepper.
- Pour in the stock, and bring to a low simmer. Add in the orzo, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring every few so the orzo doesn't stick.
- Add in the lemon juice, zest, peas, and feta and stir through allowing to cook for another minutes until the cheese melts.
- Stir through the dill, test for salt and serve.
Wine Pairing:
The sharp feta and herbal notes of the greens make this a natural for Sauvignon Blanc, which has herbal characterisitics to compliment the fresh vegetables in the dish. The wine's snappy acidity also cuts through the fatty cheese, while the feta's salt brings out the wine's fruit flavour.
