Orzo in salsa di limone, parmigiano e prezzemolo;

I tend to use orzo often when making pasta dishes because it’s just so versatile–it works well in soups, pasta salads and even in faux-risotto dishes–and it also doesn’t necessarily need the giant pasta pot that long noodles require if you’re only making pasta for one or two people.  The original recipe that this is an adaptation of calls for spaghetti, but when we substituted orzo the lemony sauce coated the pasta much more evenly and the parsley added a bit more of a bite than the basil does, especially for this time of year.

Orzo in a Lemon-Parmesan-Parsley Sauce:

Serves 4  as a main course, or 6 as a side, and adapted from Giada DeLaurentiis’ recipe in Everyday Italian

• 1 lb orzo pasta
• Juice of two lemons (about half a cup)
• Zest of two lemons
• 2/3 cup Parmigiano Reggiano (preferred)
• 2/3 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 3/4 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Whisk together the lemon juice, cheese, oil, salt and pepper and set aside.  Bring a large pot of water to boil, salt, and add orzo pasta; cook until al dente according to package directions and drain.  You may want to reserve a cup of the pasta water in case the sauce is too dry, but I’ve honestly never needed it.  Put the pasta into either a serving dish or even back into the cooking pot and then add the lemon sauce, the zest and the parsley; toss to coat.  Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.