Parmesan and Spinach Orzo

This recipe is fantastic! My entire family loved it I mean seriously loved it. Besides being awesome it’s also low in calories 105 calories for ½ cup. You can’t beat that. It’s not often you can get a generous side dish for around 100 calories especially when you are talking any type of pasta. I loved it so much. I can’t even describe the smell or even the flavor. It’s simply delicious!

There are so many things you could do with this recipe like add rotisserie chicken, canned chicken, additional vegetables or even double the sauce and serve it over a bed of steamed vegetables! It’s simple fantastic!

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup orzo pasta
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 cup fat free milk
• 1-1/2 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I just used grated Kraft)
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Cook orzo according to package directions. Drain and run under cool water to stop the cooking process, then set aside.
2. Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and onion, and cook, stirring frequently, until onions have become translucent. I under cooked them a bit for a little added crunch.
3. Whisk in flour and cook for around 1 minute then whisk in milk, and cook, whisk constantly, until slightly thickened, about 3-4 minutes.
4. Add spinach and cook until wilted, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in Parmesan until melted, about 1 minute. Add orzo and gently toss to combine; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook another minute or two to insure the dish is heated all the way through.
5. A nice variation would be to add extra steamed vegetables or chicken chunks to make it more of a main dish.
6. Serve immediately.

Original Recipe Source

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