Are you looking for a quick and delicious meal that's perfect for any occasion? Look no further than this feta cheese-flavored orzo dish! This flavorful and versatile dish can be served as a main course, a side dish, or even as part of a buffet spread. Made with simple ingredients like orzo pasta, feta cheese, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, fresh dill, lemon juice, and olive oil, this dish is sure to please even the pickiest of eaters. It's also incredibly easy to make, taking only about 30 minutes from start to finish. In addition to the classic recipe, this article also includes variations such as a vegetarian version, a vegan version, and a gluten-free version, ensuring that everyone can enjoy this delicious dish. So gather your ingredients and let's get cooking!
Here are our top 10 tried and tested recipes!
HERBED ORZO WITH FETA
Steps:
- Fill a large pot with water, add 1 tablespoon of salt and a splash of oil, and bring the water to a boil. Add the orzo and simmer for 9 to 11 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it's cooked al dente. Drain and pour into a large bowl. Whisk together the lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Pour over the hot pasta and stir well.
- Add the scallions, dill, parsley, cucumber, onion, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Toss well. Add the feta and stir carefully. Set aside at room temperature for 1 hour to allow the flavors to blend, or refrigerate overnight. If refrigerated, taste again for seasonings and bring back to room temperature before serving.
ORZO WITH FETA AND TOMATOES
Provided by Rachael Ray : Food Network
Categories side-dish
Time 20m
Yield 4 servings as a side dish
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Heat water in large sauce pot to boil and add pasta, cook to al dente.
- Melt butter in the pot while still hot and combine with feta. Add cooked pasta to feta butter and toss with parsley and tomatoes, season with a little pepper.
GREEK ORZO WITH FETA
This recipe has easy ingredients and is a great light lunch or dinner! Enjoy!
Provided by lauryn
Categories 100+ Everyday Cooking Recipes Vegetarian Side Dishes
Time 1h40m
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Stir together olive oil, lemon juice, olives, tomatoes, red pepper, red onion, garlic, oregano, and feta cheese in a large bowl. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the orzo and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain and toss the tomato mixture. Sprinkle with chopped parsley to serve.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 381.4 calories, Carbohydrate 38.4 g, Cholesterol 33.7 mg, Fat 20.8 g, Fiber 3 g, Protein 12 g, SaturatedFat 7.4 g, Sodium 617.6 mg, Sugar 6.6 g
GREEK ORZO SALAD (ORZO FETA SALAD)
Greek Orzo Salad with feta cheese is one of those super simple dishes that take just so little effort to prepare! Short cooking time, little preparation and you will have a delicious light meal or side dish in 30'!
Provided by Eli K. Giannopoulos
Categories Salad
Time 30m
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- To prepare this delicious Greek orzo salad recipe, start with cooking the orzo pasta. Boil the water in the kettle. At the same time heat the olive oil over a medium high heat in a large saucepan. Once the oil is shimmering, add the orzo and cook, stirring often until the orzo starts to color. Fill the pan with boiling water, stir in a of teaspoon of salt and cook the orzo for 10-12 minutes, until just tender and al-dente.
- Drain the orzo and rinse under a cold tap until the water running out the pasta runs clear. Set aside to drain away any excess water, stirring occasionally to prevent the pasta sticking to each other.
- Meanwhile, quarter the cherry tomatoes, peel and finely chop the onion and the cucumber, and quarter the olives.
- Transfer the cooked orzo to a large bowl and stir in the salad vegetables. Roughly chop the fresh herbs and add those too.
- To make the dressing, in a small bowl combine the extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, dried oregano, lemon zest, and a generous amount of salt and pepper. Stir this into the orzo mixture.
- Add the cubed feta and stir carefully, making sure the cheese pieces don't break up too much. Season to taste with more salt and pepper, if needed, and leave to stand in the fridge for roughly an hour before serving to allow the orzo to soak up the dressing. Enjoy!
GREEK ORZO SALAD
Steps:
- Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Cook orzo until al dente. Drain and run cool water over it until it's cooled.
- Make the dressing. In the bottom of a large bowl, mix shallot, lemon juice, Dijon mustard and oregano. Slowly stream in olive oil, whisking constantly. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.
- Add the cooled orzo, tomatoes, cucumbers, feta, olives, red onions, and dill to the large bowl with the shallot dressing. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss to coat and serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 224 kcal, Carbohydrate 26 g, Protein 6 g, Fat 11 g, SaturatedFat 2 g, Cholesterol 8 mg, Sodium 251 mg, Fiber 2 g, Sugar 3 g, UnsaturatedFat 8 g, ServingSize 1 serving
FETA CHEESE FLAVORED ORZO
The perfect summer side dish. I like to serve it at room temperature, adding a bit more oil and topped with chopped tomato. Quick and easy side for grilled foods.
Provided by Lorac
Categories Cheese
Time 20m
Yield 4 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- Cook orzo according to package directions, drain.
- Add remaining ingredients and toss to mix well.
ORZO AND TOMATO SALAD WITH FETA CHEESE
A cold pasta salad with orzo, green olives, feta cheese, parsley, dill, tomato, olive oil, and lemon juice. If you don't have fresh herbs, use 1 teaspoon dried. As a personal chef, I can let you know that my clients love this dish.
Provided by COZYCUISINE
Categories Salad Vegetable Salad Recipes Tomato Salad Recipes
Time 25m
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook orzo for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain, and rinse with cold water.
- When orzo is cool, transfer to a medium bowl and mix in olives, feta cheese, parsley, dill, and tomato. In a small bowl, whisk together oil and lemon juice. Pour over pasta, and mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Chill before serving.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 329.4 calories, Carbohydrate 28.1 g, Cholesterol 37.4 mg, Fat 19.6 g, Fiber 1.5 g, Protein 10.9 g, SaturatedFat 7.8 g, Sodium 613.7 mg, Sugar 3.8 g
ORZO WITH SHRIMP, FETA CHEESE, AND WHITE WINE
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Brush 11x7-inch glass baking dish with oil. Cook orzo according to package directions. Drain well and return orzo to same pot. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/4 cup feta cheese, Parmesan cheese, and 2 tablespoons basil; stir to blend. Arrange orzo mixture in prepared dish.
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp and sauté until slightly pink, about 2 minutes (shrimp will not be cooked through). Arrange shrimp atop orzo. Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil to same skillet. Add garlic and sauté over medium-high heat 30 seconds. Add tomatoes with juice; cook 1 minute. Stir in wine, oregano, crushed red pepper, and remaining 1/4 cup basil. Simmer uncovered until reduced to thick sauce consistency, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper; spoon over shrimp. Bake orzo until heated through, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup feta cheese and serve.
ONE-PAN ORZO WITH SPINACH AND FETA
Similar to spanakorizo, a Greek spinach and rice dish, this easy, meatless meal features orzo, spinach, peas and scallions. It is deeply satisfying but still on the lighter side of pasta recipes, thanks to all those vegetables. A little feta gives it creaminess and tang, while some lemon zest brightens everything up. It makes a complete meal on its own, or, if you're looking for something more substantial, serve this as a hearty side dish to roasted meats or fish.
Provided by Melissa Clark
Categories dinner, easy, pastas, main course
Time 30m
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Heat a 10-inch skillet over medium, then melt butter, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Stir in about three-quarters of the scallions (saving some of the green parts for garnish) and garlic, and cook until softened, stirring frequently, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in spinach, adding in batches if it doesn't all fit in the pan at once, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until spinach is wilted, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in stock and bring to a simmer. Stir in orzo, lemon zest and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until orzo is nearly cooked through and most of the liquid is absorbed, 10 to 14 minutes, stirring once or twice.
- Stir in cheese, peas (if you like) and dill, cover the pan, and cook for another 1 minute, to finish cooking and warm the peas. To serve, sprinkle with more cheese and the reserved scallions.
ORZO SALAD WITH PEPPERS AND FETA
Piperade, a classic Basque dish of stewed peppers, onions and tomatoes, becomes a flavorful sauce for this pasta. Colorful bell peppers simmer in olive oil and aromatics until meltingly soft, and juicy tomatoes simmer alongside until they burst, lending both tangy and sweet notes. Briny feta adds salty bites to complement the sweet pepper sauce, but tart aged goat cheese makes a good alternative. This side is even better at room temperature, making it the perfect make-ahead dish for summer picnics or potlucks.
Provided by Kay Chun
Categories dinner, easy, lunch, pastas, salads and dressings, main course, side dish
Time 30m
Yield 4 to 6 servings (about 10 cups)
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Cook orzo in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta, pressing out excess liquid. Spread out on a baking sheet to cool.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Add onion, bell peppers and thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomato and cook, stirring occasionally, until broken down and juices release, about 8 minutes.
- Add the reserved pasta water and stir to scrape up any browned bits at the bottom of the skillet. Transfer vegetable mixture to a large bowl to cool slightly to lukewarm, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to speed up the cooling process. Discard thyme sprig.
- Add cooled orzo, lemon juice, basil and cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix well, then transfer to a large serving bowl or platter. Garnish with more basil.
Tips:
- Use high-quality feta cheese: The flavor of the feta cheese will shine through in this dish, so it's important to use a good quality cheese. Look for a feta that is creamy and has a tangy flavor.
- Cook the orzo al dente: Orzo is a small pasta that can easily overcook, so be careful not to cook it for too long. Al dente pasta is still slightly firm to the bite.
- Use a flavorful broth: The broth you use to cook the orzo will add flavor to the dish. Use a broth that you enjoy the taste of, such as chicken broth, vegetable broth, or beef broth.
- Add vegetables: Vegetables add color, flavor, and nutrients to this dish. Some good vegetables to add include broccoli, carrots, celery, and zucchini.
- Season to taste: Be sure to season the dish to taste with salt and pepper. You may also want to add other spices, such as garlic powder, onion powder, or dried oregano.
Conclusion:
This feta cheese flavored orzo is a quick and easy weeknight meal that is sure to please the whole family. It's packed with flavor from the feta cheese, vegetables, and broth. Plus, it's a great way to use up leftover feta cheese. So next time you're looking for a simple and delicious meal, give this feta cheese flavored orzo a try.
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