So, when I say **orzo** I mean the pasta. Orzo in this case refers to a rice-shaped pasta! It’s made from semolina. In Italy, it’s referred to as risoni (orzo in Italian means “barley”).
Season the chicken on both sides with salt, freshly ground black pepper, garlic powder and oregano. Set aside. Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the orzo pasta, stirring constantly, and toast for about 5-7 minutes until it turns golden brown. Transfer the orzo to a bowl and set aside.
Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the same skillet and add the chicken to the pan and cook for about 4-6 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook for another 4-6 minutes until golden brown. Check if the chicken is cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
Sauté the vegetables and simmer the orzo
Add the onion to the pan and cook for 5 minutes or until the onion softens. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute until fragrant.
Add the red pepper and cook for 1 minute.
Add the tomato puree, dry oregano basil and chili flakes if used, and cook for 2 more minutes, stirring constantly.
Add the toasted orzo and vegetable or chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to low and cook uncovered, for about 15 minutes or until the orzo is tender and the liquid is almost absorbed.
Arrange the chicken on top of the orzo and cook for 2-3 minutes more to let it warm through.
Garnish with fresh parsley, and lemon slices and enjoy alongside a fresh salad.
**MY NOTES**: So this recipe calls for vegetable broth, and I love vegetable broth, but I think this dish works better with homemade chicken stock. When adjusting your salt in this dish, note whether or not you are using stock with any salt in it. I like to use homemade chicken stock without salt added. This also means you’ll want to season your chicken really well. You can always add salt but you can’t take it out, so season at each stage and taste as you go.
This dish is great for weeknight family meals because it makes little mess and doesn’t take long. If you want to add more vegetables, some wilted spinach or diced sauteed squash/zucchini work well. I’ve made it with yellow squash added in and I really liked the result.
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So, when I say **orzo** I mean the pasta. Orzo in this case refers to a rice-shaped pasta! It’s made from semolina. In Italy, it’s referred to as risoni (orzo in Italian means “barley”).
Source: [Home Cooking Adventure](https://www.homecookingadventure.com/toasted-orzo-with-chicken/)
**For the chicken:**
1 ¼ pound (600g) chicken breast , cut into strips
salt and freshly ground black pepper
garlic powder
Oregano
**For the Orzo Pasta:**
2 tbsp olive oil
1 pound (500g) orzo pasta
1 medium onion (about 6 oz – 180g)
5 garlic cloves , minced
1 red pepper (about 4 oz – 120g)
1 cup (240g) tomato puree
5 ½ cups (1,3 liter) vegetable broth
1 tsp dry oregano
1 tsp dry basil
Salt and freshly round black pepper
Chili flakes , optional
Cut the chicken into long strips.
Season the chicken on both sides with salt, freshly ground black pepper, garlic powder and oregano. Set aside. Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the orzo pasta, stirring constantly, and toast for about 5-7 minutes until it turns golden brown.
Transfer the orzo to a bowl and set aside.
Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the same skillet and add the chicken to the pan and cook for about 4-6 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook for another 4-6 minutes until golden brown. Check if the chicken is cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
Sauté the vegetables and simmer the orzo
Add the onion to the pan and cook for 5 minutes or until the onion softens. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute until fragrant.
Add the red pepper and cook for 1 minute.
Add the tomato puree, dry oregano basil and chili flakes if used, and cook for 2 more minutes, stirring constantly.
Add the toasted orzo and vegetable or chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to low and cook uncovered, for about 15 minutes or until the orzo is tender and the liquid is almost absorbed.
Arrange the chicken on top of the orzo and cook for 2-3 minutes more to let it warm through.
Garnish with fresh parsley, and lemon slices and enjoy alongside a fresh salad.
**MY NOTES**: So this recipe calls for vegetable broth, and I love vegetable broth, but I think this dish works better with homemade chicken stock. When adjusting your salt in this dish, note whether or not you are using stock with any salt in it. I like to use homemade chicken stock without salt added. This also means you’ll want to season your chicken really well. You can always add salt but you can’t take it out, so season at each stage and taste as you go.
This dish is great for weeknight family meals because it makes little mess and doesn’t take long. If you want to add more vegetables, some wilted spinach or diced sauteed squash/zucchini work well. I’ve made it with yellow squash added in and I really liked the result.