Simple but so Good

Orzo is one of my favorite pastas. Especially cooked simply, like this. I wanted pasta for lunch, but we had almost nothing in the house. BUT, we did have orzo, garlic, and lemons.

Lemon Garlic Orzo

1 c. orzo
1 lemon
6-8 cloves garlic
olive oil
salt, pepper to taste
hard cheese, 1-2 Tbs. grated - optional - (I used majon, but parmesan would also work)

Bring a pot of water to boil. When boiling, add orzo and cook until slightly undercooked. Drain (reserving 1/2 c. of cooking water), and set aside. Meanwhile, heat olive oil (approximately 3 Tbsp.) in saucepan on medium heat. Add minced garlic. Saute for a minute or two. It should not brown. Add zest of one lemon. Saute until starting to brown nicely. Add orzo. Saute for a few minutes. Add pasta water (approximately 1/3 c. - add more later if neccessary), juice from lemon, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring, until water is absorbed. Stir in cheese, and serve.

I didn't have anything else, but I think that parsley or pine nuts stirred in at the end would be delicious. This dish would be very good with shrimp.