Orzo (, ; from , from

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...

), also known as risoni (; 'large

rains of Rains may refer to: Surname * Rains (surname) Places * Rains, South Carolina, an unincorporated community in Marion County, South Carolina * Rains County, Texas, a county in East Texas Entertainment * ''The Rains'', a 2016 zombie novel by Gregg ...

rice'), is a form of short-cut

pasta Pasta (, ; ) is a type of food typically made from an unleavened dough of wheat flour mixed with water or eggs, and formed into sheets or other shapes, then cooked by boiling or baking. Rice flour, or legumes such as beans or lentils, ...

, shaped like a large grain of

rice Rice is the seed of the grass species '' Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima'' (African rice). The name wild rice is usually used for species of the genera '' Zizania'' and '' Porteresia'', both wild and domesticat ...

. Orzo is traditionally made from flour, but it can also be made of whole grain. It is often made with

semolina Semolina is coarsely milled durum wheat mainly used in making couscous, and sweet puddings. The term semolina is also used to designate coarse millings of other varieties of wheat, and sometimes other grains (such as rice or corn) as well. Ety ...

, a type of flour made from durum wheat. The name ''orzo'' is common for this pasta shape in

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and th ...

, but less so in Italy, where the word means ''barley''.

Uses

There are many different ways to serve orzo. Orzo can be served alone; in

soup Soup is a primarily liquid food, generally served warm or hot (but may be cool or cold), that is made by combining ingredients of meat or vegetables with stock, milk, or water. Hot soups are additionally characterized by boiling soli ...

, especially for children; as part of a

salad A salad is a dish consisting of mixed, mostly natural ingredients with at least one raw ingredient. They are typically served at room temperature or chilled, though some can be served warm. Condiments and salad dressings, which exist in a va ...

, a

pilaf Pilaf ( US spelling) or pilau ( UK spelling) is a rice dish, or in some regions, a wheat dish, whose recipe usually involves cooking in stock or broth, adding spices, and other ingredients such as vegetables or meat, and employing some techn ...

, or

giouvetsi Giouvetsi, yiouvetsi, or youvetsi (; from Turkish ) is a Greek dish made with chicken, lamb or beef and pasta, either ''kritharaki'' (orzo) or '' hilopites'' (small square noodles), and tomato sauce (usually spiced with allspice and sometimes ci ...

; or baked in a

casserole A casserole (French: diminutive of , from Provençal 'pan') is a normally large deep pan or bowl a casserole is anything in a casserole pan. Hot or cold History Baked dishes have existed for thousands of years. Early casserole recipes c ...

. Orzo can be colored by

saffron Saffron () is a spice derived from the flower of ''Crocus sativus'', commonly known as the "saffron crocus". The vivid crimson stigma (botany), stigma and stigma (botany)#style, styles, called threads, are collected and dried for use mainly ...

, chilies, and black beans to yield yellow, orange, or black pasta.

Similar products

Orzo is essentially identical to the (''kritharáki'', little barley, or ''manestra'' when in soup) in

Greek cuisine Greek cuisine ( Greek: Ελληνική Κουζίνα) is the cuisine of Greece and the Greek diaspora. In common with many other cuisines of the Mediterranean, it is founded on the triad of wheat, olive oil, and wine. It uses vegetables, ol ...

, ' ("barley noodle") in Turkish cooking, and (''lisān al-ʿaṣfūr'', "sparrow tongue") in Egyptian cooking. In

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

, the equivalent pasta is called '. Confusion may arise from the fact that ' is also the

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

word for

pine nuts Pine nuts, also called piñón (), pinoli (), pignoli or chilgoza (), are the edible seeds of pines (family Pinaceae, genus ''Pinus''). According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, only 29 species provide edible nuts, while 20 are trade ...

Ptitim Israeli couscous ( he, פתיתים, , ), is toasted pasta in tiny balls, developed in Israel in the 1950s when rice was scarce due to austerity in Israel. Despite the name in English, it is not a type of couscous. History Ptitim was created in ...

is a rice-grain-shaped pasta developed in the 1950s in

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

as a substitute for rice.

Preparation

Orzo is often boiled in Italian soups, like

minestrone Minestrone (; ) is a thick soup of Italian origin made with vegetables, often with the addition of pasta or rice, sometimes both. Common ingredients include beans, onions, celery, carrots, leaf vegetables, stock, parmesan cheese and tomatoes ...

. It can also be boiled and lightly fried, to create a dish similar to

risotto Risotto (, , from meaning "rice") is a northern Italian rice dish cooked with broth until it reaches a creamy consistency. The broth can be derived from meat, fish, or vegetables. Many types of risotto contain butter, onion, white wine, and Pa ...

References

Types of pasta Greek cuisine Turkish cuisine Middle Eastern cuisine {{Italy-cuisine-stub

Uses

Similar products

Preparation

See also

References