Quick Lemon Orzo with Spinach, Feta and Dill

by | Oct 14, 2020 | Dinner, Greens, Lemon, Pasta, Recipes, Spinach, Vegetable Side Dish, Vegetarian

Quick Lemon Orzo with Spinach, Feta and Dill
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Faced with a big bag of spinach and a couple lemons that needed to be used, like today, as well as some chicken stock in the fridge, I noodled on how we might combine these for dinner. Bonus that we also had an open container of orzo and some feta too. While I considered making soup, it was just too warm today… I think it reached 88 degrees here. Not at all soup weather yet. Hubby planned to grill some chicken, so we wanted a good side dish. We found it!

This dish is based on a New York Times recipe that I had saved ages ago. As usual, I used ingredients I had on hand instead of following the recipe exactly, and changed up quantities a bit to add a bit more flavor. I subbed shallots for the scallions it called for, and added more lemon. Because I love lemon! The result was a dish I will be making again, often I think. It was light, but flavorful, full of greens, and absolutely a perfect accompaniment to grilled chicken. It would be great with fish, too, or even all by itself. And best news is it can all be made in one pan. Fewer dishes to wash is always a good thing!

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Quick Lemon Orzo with Spinach, Feta and dill

  • Author: Stacey McNeill
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Description

This is a favorite way to use up fresh spinach and dill. Use more or less than the recipe calls for, depending on what you have available and your preferences. Making this all in one pan makes it quick and easy!

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil (I used about a tablespoon of each)
  • 1 large shallot, minced (about 1/4 cup)
  • 3 large garlic cloves, minced
  • 8 ounces fresh spinach leaves, chopped
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 1 3/4 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock for a vegetarian version)
  • 1 cup orzo
  • 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
  • 3/4 cup peas, thawed
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice (or more according to taste)
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
  • 1 cup crumbled feta cheese

Instructions

  1. Melt butter or heat olive oil in a large sauce pan or deep skillet.
  2. Add shallot and saute a few minutes until softened. Then add garlic and continue cooking, while stirring, until fragrant and slightly softened.
  3. Add spinach and cook a few minutes, until wilted. sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and freshly ground pepper.
  4. Add chicken stock, orzo, and lemon zest and stir, making sure the orzo is covered by the stock. Cover the pan and let simmer, stirring occasionally so it doesn’t stick, for about 10-15 minutes, or until the liquid is mostly absorbed and orzo is close to being al dente.
  5. Stir in peas, lemon juice, dill and feta and cover, allowing to simmer for another few minutes. Taste and add another 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of salt (more or less depending on taste) and more lemon if desired, and allow flavors to blend for a couple minutes before serving.