lemon orzo with spring veggies

By gwen -
One pot and one cutting board only! I'm going to be eating this for lunch all week. Based heavily on another lemon orzo recipe from Everybody Loves Sandwiches.

half a box of orzo
one bag baby spinach
one bunch asparagus, sliced in 1/4-inch pieces on the diagonal
handful of frozen peas
2 T olive oil
juice and zest from one or two lemons
2 fat clove garlic, minced
half an onion, minced (red would have been better)
about 2 T grated parmesan
1/3 c feta cheese, crumbled
good grind of black pepper
almonds or chickpeas (optional)

Cook orzo in salted water until it's about half done, stirring frequently. Throw in the asparagus and peas and cook until everything is tender.

Turn off the heat and add the spinach, stirring until wilted.

Drain it all.

Throw everything else in but the feta. If you use feta, you probably won’t need salt, but adjust seasonings to your taste. Wait until it's fairly cool to put in the feta so it doesn't melt in.

ELS also puts freshly roasted almonds on top, which sounds delicious and would add some protein.

WW points: 5(-ish) per cup

Comments

Alissa said…
You could try the same thing with quinoa or some other whole grain instead of the orzo if you're looking to add more protein and cut back on carbs. I found that quinoa works as a good substitute for most of my usual grain salads, and I've been using it a lot more often lately.
11:21 PM
Anonymous said…
I bet you could also use farro or millet, too. Both new grains (is farro a grain or a pasta?) that I've been using lately. Or trying to use, anyway.
10:28 AM
Alissa said…
Farro is a type of whole wheat. I haven't used it yet, but I have a few recipes bookmarked that call for it. I like millet. I also like barley, but the typical pearled barley that you can find easily doesn't have as much of the nutrients as hulled barley, which I have to get in bulk at Whole Foods.
6:17 PM
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