Orzo with Parsley

Sometimes the best side dish is the simplest one. Orzo cooked until just firm, drained, and tossed with oil, chopped fresh parsley, and salt. Three ingredients, no fuss, and it goes with everything from grilled chicken to roasted fish to braised lamb.

Orzo looks like large grains of rice but cooks like pasta, and that rice-like shape makes it absorb dressings and sauces better than most noodle shapes. The oil coats each grain and keeps them from clumping together, while the parsley adds a fresh, green brightness.

Stir the orzo often while it cooks. It tends to sink and stick to the bottom of the pot more than other pasta shapes. Eight to ten minutes gets you that tender-but-firm bite.

Kitchen Tips

• Stir constantly when you first add the orzo to boiling water. It sinks fast and clumps if ignored.
• Cook to al dente. Overcooked orzo turns starchy and pasty, losing its pleasant chewiness.
• Use flat-leaf Italian parsley for the best flavor. Curly parsley works but tastes more bitter and grassy.
• Toss the oil and parsley into the hot, drained orzo immediately. The heat brings out the parsley’s aroma.