Cheaper than Orzo

I seem to be drawn to orzo recipes lately. Do you know what orzo is? Drew didnt know. :) It is pasta that is about the size of rice in an elipse shape. Here is a picture:

I know it might seem redundant to have pasta that is rice shaped when you could just use rice, but it has that wonderful pasta taste and texture that I just cant get with rice.

The problem with orzo though is that it is not a high demand food like rice or spaghetti, so its expensive as far as pasta goes and I feel ridiculously indulgent buying it. So I was thrilled when I found a past that is similar to orzo in size and shape, it was less than a dollar for the whole package. Its called La Moderna.

You cant really make it out in this picture, but I found "melon seed" shaped pastas and they worked great for this Mediterranean orzo recipe I had been wanting to make. It was really easy because I basically just cooked the pasta and then dumped all these other ingredients in, gave it a stir and then served it room temperature or cold. We had leftovers for lunch the next few days too.

Here is what I put in:

Sundried tomatoes, chopped
2-4Tbs. milled flax seed - for protein and omega-3s
2 grilled chicken breasts, cubed
2 Tbs. roasted red bell peppers, chopped
2-3 generous handfuls baby spinach
3-4 Tbs feta, I love feta!
1/2 jar HEB artichoke antipasto tapenade
2 Tbs. pecans, roughly chopped
salt, pepper, greek seasoning

I think it turned out pretty well

Like I said, it was really easy to put together. I am all about easy and keeping the kitchen cool in the summer. I put it in this fun star bowl I have from Pottery Barn, I am sure pretty dinnerware makes things taste better. :) But seriously, look at all the yummy deliciousness in there...

I dont know if you can get this cheaper "melon seed" pasta everywhere, but if you can, I highly suggest using it instead of orzo. It worked great for me.