I found this quick meal yesterday when I did a search for recipes using orzo (a rice-shaped pasta) and shrimp. I really like the blend of flavors: tender shrimp, chunky tomatoes, salty feta, and a little heat from the red pepper flakes.

I substituted fresh basil for the parsley because that’s what I had on hand. I suggest cutting the tail shell off the shrimp (if it isn’t already) so it’s easier to eat. Have everything prepped and ready to go when you start cooking so that you can move on from one step to the next. The recipe doesn’t state it but you need to drain the cooked orzo before adding it to the skillet with the shrimp and tomato mixture. Stir everything together then serve with a green salad and crusty bread.

Jennifer Garner’s Shrimp and Orzo
-recipe from epicurious.com

No time to make a healthy dinner? “I love to cook for myself,” says Jennifer Garner, the costar of Fox’s Time of Your Life television series. “It’s my stay-healthy secret. Making a simple dinner actually calms me down after a harried day. Often I’ll spend Sunday nights cooking and then use the leftovers for lunch that week. Right now, I’m really into cooking with orzo. It’s a light, rice-shaped pasta that fills me up. I especially love this recipe because the orzo goes well with the shrimp and veggies and it’s quick and easy to make.”

Makes 4 servings

1 cup dry orzo
2 tsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/4 cup white wine
1 can (28 oz) whole, peeled tomatoes
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp capers
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp dried red pepper flakes
1 lb medium shelled and deveined shrimp
1/2 cup feta

Cook orzo in boiling water according to package directions. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until onion is translucent. Add wine and cook 1 minute. Toss in drained tomatoes (reserve 1/2 cup juice). Break tomatoes into chunks. Add reserved juice, parsley, capers, oregano, basil, black pepper, and red pepper. Simmer 5 minutes. Add shrimp and cook 2 minutes or until shrimp become opaque. Add cooked orzo to skillet. Mix well. When pasta is thoroughly heated, stir in feta. Serve immediately.

Tags: Main Dish, orzo, Quick Cooking, Shrimp

This recipe, a twist on traditional chicken noodle soup, features corn, orzo (a rice-shaped pasta) and saffron (the stigma of a Mediterranean crocus flower). Saffron is the world’s most expensive spice by weight, and is popular in Spanish, Indian and Mediterranean cooking. The recipe calls for a “pinch” of saffron which is approximately 1/8 teaspoon (much more than that will overpower the soup). If you don’t like saffron or don’t have any, the soup will still be good without it although it will be missing some of the golden-yellow color and the distinct flavor that saffron gives to food. To make it a heartier soup, add more orzo, chicken and corn.

Golden Chicken, Corn & Orzo Soup
-Recipe from Fine Cooking Magazine

Serves five to six as a main course.

 2 Tbs. olive oil     
2 large ribs celery, finely diced
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 pinch saffron threads
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
2 qt. homemade or low-salt chicken broth
2 cups finely diced or shredded cooked chicken (such as leftover roast chicken)
1/2 cup orzo
1 cup frozen corn
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice; more to taste
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Tip: You might wonder why the orzo is cooked separately. There are two reasons. If you boiled the orzo directly in the soup, the starch from the pasta would cloud the soup broth, and the orzo would also suck up too much of the soup broth as it cooked. Boiling the pasta separately solves both of these problems.

Bring a medium saucepan of well-salted water to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the celery, onion, saffron, and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to soften, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer, add the chicken and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. While the soup simmers, cook the orzo in the boiling salted water until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain.

Add the drained orzo, corn, and parsley to the soup and cook just until the corn is heated through, about 2 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and season to taste with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice, if needed.

Tags: chicken soup, corn, orzo, Quick Cooking, saffron, Soup/Stew