Signature Dish of the Day: Spinach-Parmesan Orzo

Signature Dish of the Day: Happy Thursday and Happy Jamhuri (Independence) Day to all our Kenyan readers 💜. Wrapping up our week with this beautiful, smooth, and flavorful Spinach-Parmesan Orzo as our signature dish of the day today! Orzo, also known as risoni, is a simple but wonderful pasta that resembles large rice granules in shape. It is very easy to cook and the perfect pasta to go for if you want a quick and light meal for lunch or dinner. When I first cooked orzo, I prepared it the same way I would any other type of pasta, but I always struggled with overcooking or losing some of the pasta when draining out the water. So this time round, I decided to try a different cooking strategy - I prepared my orzo just as I would normally cook rice and I will stick to this method from now on! I first heated up some olive oil in a medium-sized cooking pot for about 1 minute before adding 2 cups of orzo and stirring thoroughly to coat all granules with oil. I then seasoned with a dash of turmeric, ground black pepper, and some salt before adding 4 cups of water. I let this boil under medium heat until all the water was absorbed by the orzo before turning off the heat. In a large skillet, I heated about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sautéed a bag of thawed frozen spinach with some diced red onions and tomatoes. I seasoned the spinach with some salt, ground black pepper, smoked paprika, and dried oregano and continued to stir regularly while letting it cook for about 5 minutes. Finally, I poured in the cooked orzo pasta, sprinkled about 1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese, and mixed well to blend all the ingredients together. I turned off the heat after about 2 more minutes and served the orzo warm with a slow-cooked beef ragout that my husband had made over the weekend (see photo below). This pasta dish is simple and light yet packed with flavor and can be savored on its own or paired with a wide range or stews and soups. Give it a try sometime. Enjoy! 😋