Orzo Pasta

Orzo, meaning “barley” in Italian, is a tiny cut of pasta best known for its feature in homemade soups. Though it is small in size, Orzo is more than just a soup cut, or pastina. Try it in everything from cheesy baked side dishes to orzo pasta salads.

DeLallo Pasta comes from the town where pasta was born, a region near Naples, at the beginning of the Amalfi Coast. The art of making our pasta begins with the very best quality wheat. We carefully choose wheat with the highest gluten index, gluten content and protein content. All of these characteristics affect how the pasta cooks, as well as its taste and texture. The durum wheat is milled into coarse ground semolina flour and then carefully kneaded with cold, fresh, mineral-rich mountain spring water. We dry our pasta slowly at low temperatures to reproduce the traditional way of making pasta. This method respects the ingredients, preserving the pasta’s color, texture and aroma.

• Made in Italy with an exclusive blend of the highest quality durum wheat.
• Extruded with bronze dies for rough surface area made to capture sauces.
• Always cooks up al dente.
• Perfect for soups, cheesy baked sides and pasta salads.
• Made in a Peanut, Tree Nut, and Egg free facility
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Kitchen and Usage Tips:

Orzo is an excellent addition to broth-based soups, baked pasta, cheesy side dishes and cold pasta salads. Try it in a Greek-inspired pasta dish featuring crumbled feta, chickpeas, olives, spinach, basil and lemon. We love it tossed in a Mediterranean-style orzo pasta salad like Lemony Greek Orzo or a summery Orzo Caprese with pesto, cherry tomatoes, basil and fresh mozzarella. Orzo is a great substitute for rice in nearly any recipe.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What Is Orzo? Orzo is a type of pasta called pastina. Pastina is a small pasta shape known for its feature in soups. Orzo can be mistaken for large grains of rice.

Is Orzo A Pasta Or Rice? Although orzo looks like rice, it is a pasta made from semolina flour. The name itself actually means barley in Italian, but there is no barley in it. The pasta derives its name from its shape which closely resembles the grain. Orzo can be classified as a "pastina"—which is another word to describe small pieces of pasta. Often, these smaller cuts can be used in pasta and side dishes, though orzo itself can be a very versatile ingredient.

Is Orzo Gluten Free? What Is A Good Gluten-Free Substitute For Orzo? Orzo is an Italian type of pasta often made from semolina or whole wheat flour. None of these are gluten-free, so neither is orzo. Because orzo is a small, short-cut pasta, some people confuse it with rice, a gluten-free grain. Even though traditional orzo is not gluten-free, there are many gluten-free varieties available. Gluten-free orzo may be made from grains other than wheat, including rice, corn, or quinoa.

The best gluten-free alternatives to orzo are short-grain rice, arborio rice, quinoa, cauliflower rice, or other small shapes of gluten-free pasta.

Is Orzo Healthier Than Pasta? Orzo is a type of pasta that can be a great addition to your recipe repertoire, especially when consumed with a diet rich in other whole foods. Try it in soups, salads and other side dishes, and pair it with vegetables, herbs and plant-based proteins to make it a meal.

How Do I Cook Orzo? Orzo is easy to prepare.  You can boil it like you would regular pasta and drain off the water, but I prefer to prepare it in a skillet. The easiest way to prepare orzo is to heat a pot of salted water and add the pasta once the water begins to boil. Cook until the pasta reaches al dente, approximately 8 to 10 minutes or as the package indicates. Drain the water as you would any other type of pasta and serve it with your favorite sauce.

Orzo can also be cooked like rice or risotto.  with a two-to-one ratio of water to dried pasta; the result will be creamier since all the starch of the pasta will be retained, not poured off with the cooking water.

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