1 box orzo (12 oz)

2 Tbl olive oil or canola oil

1 red onion, chopped

2 zucchini, diced

3 cloves garlic, chopped

salt and pepper

1 can chick peas, drained and rinsed

½ cup parsley leaves, chopped

¼ cup mint leaves, finely chopped

2/3 cup feta crumbled

Directions:

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the whole box of orzo.

2. Add the olive oil to a saute pan, then brown the garlic.

3. Saute the onions until near transparent.

4. Add the zucchini.

5. Saute until softened about 6 minutes or until tender. Season to taste.

6. Add the chick peas and allow it to heat up. Cooking it too long will make the mixture starchy.

7. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.

8. Add the cooked orzo, stir.

9. Add the cilantro, mint, feta and stir.

10. Can be served cold or hot.

orzo: I love the texture of this pasta. I buy Stop & Shop’s brand for $1 (when it’s on sale i stock up). One serving provides an enrichment of folate, thiamin, niacin and riboflavin which are important B vitamins. It provides more carb than a typical serving of pasta however.

alternative: I’ve made several variations of this recipe and I like how it’s really forgiving. I have used red bell pepper instead of zucchini or added canned black olives in addition to everything. For my friend who is lactose-intolerant, I have feta on the side. I even find that the feta or olives imparts enough flavor as well as the cilantro and mint that i don’t even add salt (this is good for your health!). 

Bon apetit!