Orzo is an Italian word for "barley" because the small pasta was thought to resemble that grain, but Orzo isn't called Orzo in Italy. It's called "risi" which actually means "rice." Orzo is an ancient creation that came from the Mediterranean basin, but not necessarily from Italy which gets credit for bringing pasta to his homeland from China through the voyages of Marco Polo. Or is that story even true? Italy itself does not embrace that tale, and food scholars know that pasta was being eaten all around the Mediterranean long before Marco Polo sailed to China in 1271.
There are historical texts that mention food made from dried sheets of dough from as far back as the 5th Century, and it may well have originated with the Arabs. They invaded Sicily in the 7th Century, so it is likely they brought this foodstuff with them. However, it is a matter of conjecture that this would have marked the time that pasta production began in Sicily. Centuries earlier, the Romans had something rustically resembling pasta called "Lagana", thought to be the origin of "Lasagna." And noodles were being consumed in Asian countries for thousands of years, even before Roman times.
Orzo has been around for centuries in Spain and Greece as well as Italy, which is only a little bit longer than the bag I had in my pantry, but the truth is no one really knows its origin.
This recipe was captured from the Half Baked Harvest website, but it has been plagiarized without credit on several other sites, so like the pasta itself, I'm unsure of this recipe's true origin. But it made a delicious accompaniment to my Rack of Lamb with Red Wine Reduction Sauce, found here. I used more orzo than the original recipe called for, and I used banana peppers as opposed to pepperoncini, because that's what I had on hand.
Ingredients
For the Orzo
2 red bell peppers, halved with stem and seeds removed
3 tbsp garlic, minced
1 tbsp powdered oregano
2 tbsp olive oil, plus 2 more for drizzling
4 cups orzo, cooked al dente, according to package directions
4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives (like, Mazzetta), finely chopped
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup banana pepper rings (like, Mazzetta or Mt. Olive), finely chopped
1/4 cup pine nuts, left whole
sea salt to taste
freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Ingredients
For the Lemon Basil Tomatoes
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/2 cup cherry, grape or cherub tomatoes, halved or quartered
1/3 cup olive oil
zest of 1/2 fresh lemon
pinch of red pepper flakes
1/8 tsp sea salt
The Recipe
Preheat the oven to 400F degrees with a rack in the top third.
Put the pepper halves in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle in the olive oil, add the garlic, oregano and season with sea salt and black pepper. Toss well to coat and then put the peppers cut side up in a baking dish and roast them for 30-35 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
In the meantime, add the orzo and all remaining ingredients into the same mixing bowl as you used for the peppers. If your orzo was made ahead of time, warm it up by putting the pasta in a colander and dipping it in very hot water for 30 second or so. If your orzo has been freshly made, make sure it is well drained, then put it in the bowl with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil and stir to combine before proceeding with the remainder of the recipe.
Add all the ingredients for the lemon basil tomatoes to a small mixing bowl and toss well to combine.
When the peppers have cooled, spoon about a cup of the orzo mixture into the cavity of each pepper half. You will have more mixture than the peppers can contain, and that's okay. Just pile it on.
Return the peppers to the oven and bake for another 20-25 minutes to ensure everything is heated through.
Place a loaded bell pepper on your dinner plate, spooning up all the overflowing orzo mixture. Top with 2-3 tablespoons of the lemon basil tomatoes before serving.
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