Sometimes it’s the simplest of foods that we enjoy the most. Such was the case when I made lemon orzo with chives for lunch today. Of course, I could have just made a pb&j and been done with it, but this delightful dish literally took only a few minutes more to prepare. The addition of lemon makes me thing of spring which is thankfully right around the corner.

You can prepare this orzo recipe as a stand a lone dish. I think it would also go incredibly well as a side with chick, or top it with some grilled asparagus. The possibilities are endless with this one.

Lemon Orzo with Chives

ingredients:

2 cups water
1 cup chicken broth
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. salt
zest of one lemon
juice from 1/2 same lemon
pinch of paprika
1 1/2 cups orzo pasta
2 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. chives finely chopped

directions:

1. Place a medium sized saucepan over high heat and add the water, broth, olive oil, salt, lemon zest, lemon juice, and paprika.

2. Once the liquid has come to a boil, add the orzo and stir until it has returned to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and stir once more.

3. Allow to boil until the pasta is al dente, according to package directions.

4. Drain the liquid (do not rinse) and place orzo in a bowl.

5. Add the butter and stir to combine.

6. Gently fold in the chives. Garnish with a bit more lemon zest and more chives, if desired. Serve warm or chill and serve cold.

This flavorful dish is so versatile. If you don’t have chives, you could use parsley or scallions. Some kalamata olives would also make a nice addition to this dish.