Orzo pasta with wilted spinach, feta cheese, tomatoes, and balsamic vinegar - goes well with fish or chicken.
I thought this was wonderful. It was very tasty and fun to make. My advice to anyone who makes it, make sure you use balsamic vinegar at the end (it's not optional!), otherwise this will be a very bland dish. I skipped over the balsamic vinegar for the first bite, thought it was boring, then added it in and it transformed the dish and rocketed it from 3 stars to 5. This also tastes great with baked zucchini chips on the side.
Read MoreI thought this was wonderful. It was very tasty and fun to make. My advice to anyone who makes it, make sure you use balsamic vinegar at the end (it's not optional!), otherwise this will be a very bland dish. I skipped over the balsamic vinegar for the first bite, thought it was boring, then added it in and it transformed the dish and rocketed it from 3 stars to 5. This also tastes great with baked zucchini chips on the side.
This was a hit and a miss in our house. I liked the idea of the feta, but not hubs, so I unfortunately had to leave it out. I loved the little spark the red pepper flakes added, but it was a little too hot for hubby's sensitive innards, so be careful with children or those who can't tolerate any "heat." And I didn't even use as much as the recipe called for! Because this is such a fresh and colorful dish I thought it would be better suited with fresh basil, and I used halved grape tomatoes for additional color and texture. I went heavier on the garlic, about one clove for the recipe scaled to two servings. I served this with a rather robust chicken dish so the fact this was light on any additional spices or herbs made this the perfect accompaniment. I think what I like best about this is that it's just so darn pretty on the plate!
Very good. I tried this recipe to use up some extra pine nuts and I wasn't just pleasantly surprised, I was astonished how good it was. The cheese adds a delicious creaminess; the tomatoes provide a refreshing tang; the pine nuts give a wonderful fragrance; the orzo and wilted spinach in spices serve as a nice base. And it's quite pretty.<br>One nice feature of the recipe is that the main ingredients are prepared separately so each person can mix them to his or her own preference. (I like more spinach (50% more) and much more tomatoes (100% more) and less cheese (33% less).) <br> Some changes: I used half the olive oil and 2/3rds the butter.
Elegant is right! Really easy to make and it tasted gourmet! I had tomato/basil feta which was excellent on top. I might toss in a few sundried tomatoes next time. Will definitely make again!!
Absolutely first rate! Follow other reviewers advice and cut way back on the fats - 2 tablespoons of olive oil and no butter. Also didn't add any tomato because they're so disgusting this time of year. Made far more than we could eat in one meal, so I stirred in some quartered artichoke hearts and balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing, and had a delicious pasta salad! Thanks for the post!
I've made this about six times now and I find myself looking forward to it each time. Other reviewers are correct, don't skimp on the spinach and cut the oil. Great for a summer side dish.
This recipe was great! Only additions were capers, sundried tomatoes and black olives! YUM!
This recipe was great. I didn't have any orzo on hand, so substituted it with Basmati rice and it worked out wonderfully. This was a great way to sneak in some spinach without any complaints.
I'm in the "just okay" camp. Definitely needs some more zip. After the pine nuts and spinach are sauteed, my reaction was "That's a lot of oil to pour over the orzo." But, it works out fine. The problem is that it IS too bland. I'd lower the olive oil next time and replace it with red wine vinegar, tsp. of salt and 1/2 red onion. Looks pretty...has great potential...but B-L-A-H.
This is a good recipe. In my opinion you need more seasoning. I make another orzo pasta which is much better. The only changes I made were reducing the olive oil way down. I did add more garlic. I will make this again but use more garlic, red chili flakes, add salt and pepper, maybe add red onion. I may try balsamic vinegar instead.
UNBELIEVABLE! made it exactly per the recipe and served with some grilled chicken seasoned with Greek seasoning... My family couldn't get enough. This will be a regular in our house for now on!!!
Really likes this!! I don't like tomatoes so I omittef that but made everything else as written. I didn't use an additional frying pan, just used the same pot I cooked the orzo in to heat the EVOO, spices and wilt the spinach then added the orzo back in...makes less clean up.
I loved this dish! It is not only delicious but so pretty...will be making this for company soon! Per the advise of others I did add additional spinach and tomatoes which I loved as well as a little less oil. This recipe makes a lot so the next day I added red onions, and yellow peppers and grilled chicken for a quick pasta salad for lunch. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Almost perfect - I add twice the spinach, a couple more tomatoes and a tad more garlic and hot pepper. I like this even better cold the next day. Then you can add the feta and cheese before serving & let people at the balsamic. I've had nothing but compliments on the recipe.
great recipe :) needs a little "something something" to push it to five starts - but it's a keeper!
WOW! This is so good, yet so easy-just my kind of side dish! I actually forgot 2 clutch ingredients (tomatoes and pine nuts) and it was still fabulous, so I can't wait to make it as written (I knew I'd forgotten to pick up pine nuts, but I forgot I used the last of the tomatoes for last night's Tomato Cheese Crunch). Even Mr. LTH loved this (and he *hates* vinegar!). THANK YOU for a new staple at the LTH house!
WOW! Served this as a side dish at a family dinner - should have doubled the recipe!!!!!! I've been asked to always bring this dish! I added chicken broth to the orzo when I cooked that (1/2 chicken broth 1/2 filtered water)
Not the best recipe. I don't know why but something was off... the combo of the ingredients just didn't work for me or my husband. Thankfully, a friend or mine recently shared a simpler and tastier orzo recipe... orzo, chopped sundried tomatoes, toasted pine nuts, feta cheese, and basil (all added in portions you prefer... I always add a lot of nuts). Don't worry about oil and salt as the tomatoes provide plenty. I also add fresh cracked black pepper. Trust me, it's great!!!
The strange thing about this is we thought it tasted bland for a few seconds and then the red pepper comes out and it's great! We actually liked it better after it had been chilled and all the flavors came together.
I have made this twice. The first time was according to the recipe with the exception of cutting back on the oil and butter. Its quite good but makes a huge quantity. The second time, I made it with 8 oz of mini bow-tie pasta since I was out of orzo 4 oz of feta and reduced the butter and oil to about a tablespoon each. I used toasted pecans in place of the pine nuts. Since my family doesnt like spicy food, I also cut the red pepper to 1/8t. Everything else, I left at the original quantity. This version was quite good as well, even though orzo is nicer in this recipe than the bow-ties. I will probably make it again using parmesean or asiago cheese instead of feta to see how that works. Don't be afraid to try this recipe and tweak it to suit your family's taste preferences.
Very simple, good recipe. I did half the amount of olive oil and butter, and used fresh basil and a bit more garlic.
I just made this last night with some grilled chicken. It was really good but I had to add a 1/2 cup of chicken broth to moisten it. I think next time I will use chicke broth and cut out the butter to make it healthier.
My AllRecipes search began with the need to use up a couple of ripe tomatoes and some fresh spinach. Though I made a couple of changes to accommodate ingredients I had on hand, I don’t believe I compromised the dish. It truly is elegant with luscious flavors. I didn't have orzo, so I substituted 8 oz. uncooked very tiny macaroni pasta. Half a cup of olive oil seemed too much, so I halved it and am satisfied with this change. I used 2 medium tomatoes, diced, added to the pan along with the spinach. Because I didn't have feta cheese, I went out on a limb and used Camembert, with rind removed and then grated. This went into the pan at the very end with the Balsamic Honey Vinegar. I will make this again and again, and try the recipe as written next time. But now I know I can improvise if necessary. What a find this is!!!
Based on many other reviews, I did not want to quite follow the recipe and end up with blah. Did, however, add the balsamic vinegar, some red wine, fresh pressed garlic to the butter and half the oil. I had no pine nuts so substituted sliced almonds. Wow!! First time and already it's on the request list.
This is really good. I had it with steak au poivre, and it was a great combo. I used walnuts in place of the pine nuts, as that is what I had. I also don't think the spinach needs to be cooked for five minutes. One to two minutes was enough for me, and I didn't even cover the pan. Plus, the hot orzo helps to wilt it even more. Overall, very good and quick.
I made this recipe for dinner tonight and really enjoyed it. I made just a few alterations, and used extra of all the herbs, and a bit larger drizzle of balsamic vinegar. I added a bit of chicken boullion with the herbs/oil/butter mixture, and I did not have orzo pasta so I just used angel hair (still yummy with it!). I also didn't have quite half of a tomato, but I used what I had on hand anyway. Instead of fresh garlic (which I also didn't have) I used garlic powder, and at the time you would normally saute the garlic I sauteed red onion as a tasty addition to the recipe. I also added the chopped tomato to the wilted spinach mixture right before tossing it with the pasta, to warm the tomato slightly. So yummy! I'll definitely recommend this to friends.
This was pretty bland, I had to add lots of salt and pepper to give it some flavor. But when we ate the leftovers we added calamata olives and extra red pepper flakes (approximately 1/4 teaspoon per serving) and it was great!
Not only is this dish delicious, it looks elegant. I brought it to a Christmas party potluck and it was a big hit. Based on the reviews, I cooked the Orzo (al dente) in chix broth. I used a little less EEOV than called for. After lightly browning the pine nuts I added about an 1/8th of a c. of dry white wine, and then only slightly wilted the spinach before tossing the mixture with the orzo. I also added some finely chopped sundried tomatoes in addition to the regular tomato. I sprinkled the balsamic vinegar and the feta (used tomato/basil feta) just before serving. I did not use the full amount of balsamic called for as I was concerned the flavor would be overpowering.
I was looking for a quick, tasty meal for just me, and this completely fit the bill! I just cut back the ingredients and added sundried tomatoes and zucchini to the spinach. Delicious!
This was definitely tasty. I was looking for a side dish to go with lamb and it was perfect. I didn't have a big enough bag of spinach, it definitly could have used more than my 6oz bag but was great anyway. Since orzo cooks so quickly, it was easy to put together and my guests went back for seconds!
I served this with marinated chicken breasts sliced overtop, and I used half as much oil and no butter to try and avoid some fat in this dish (it seemed to be missing something, so it could have been the fat). Everyone in the family liked this even after I altered it, so it is definately a keeper.
Pretty good. I agree with others that less oil can be used. The feta and tomatoes make the dish. I added extra basil and some oregano for flavor. I also used chopped hazelnuts in place of pine nuts as I don't care for their flavor. I think this dish could really be five stars with some chicken broth added and artichoke hearts would go swimmingly. Try this one and you'll enjoy it!
This was great.. loved the pine nuts would do 3/4 or even 1/2 cup of nuts would make again
This dish was outstanding. I did follow some of the other users' advice and cut the oil in half. Next time I will use more spinach.
Although I really like this dish, DH and my 3yo aren't fans. Increased the amount of tomatoes and spinach, Also threw in some diced chicken. I prefer this the next day and cold.. yum!
This recipe lacked in taste. My husband and I ate it, but decided we will not be making it again, it seemed bland, and probably needed several additional ingredients to make it worth it.
This was really easy and quick. It was missing something though, so I added chopped Italian sausage. Really gave the dish a much more substantial flavor.
Very good tasting and looks great. Sundried in place of the fresh tomato is a great change. I would also recommend cutting up the spinach before cooking. I used baby spinach, and it sort of "clumped", meaning many fork-fulls were without and some had too much spinach. A small note to improve a great recipe. Thanks.
Through the roof, wonderful-- even better the next day, either reheated or cold over salad. Just added a bit of extra garlic, since we're garlic nuts in our house! Thank you so much~ this is one recipe I'll use again and again!
I have made this several times. The only reason I gave it 4 stars is that it needs a little more flavor. I use sun-dried tomatoes instead of regular. I also add a little more balsamic vinegrette (and less oil).
I was missing some ingredients (tomatoes and pine nuts) so I added black beans and chopped olives (variety). Delicious and so easy to make. I found that the spinach wilts quickly just tossing in the pan and did not need to cover for 5 minutes.
Had this for dinner one night, we loved it. Very pretty on the plate, flavors went very well together. Changed things to suit our tastes and what we had on hand and found recipe very forgiving. Less pine nuts and thought there was still enough, less butter and oil, and thought you could even wilt the spinach in stock or something. Used cherry tomatoes cut up, threw them in with the spinach at the last minute to warm them up, then mixed the feta right in with all of it, which made it so creamy. We did find the balsamic helped give it some zip, but it still needed a little more salt and pepper. I would like almost double the spinach tho. Thanks for sharing, we will definitely make this again!
Since pine nuts are so expensive here in Tokyo ($8 for 1cup) I was glad they didn't go to waste. The flavor was really good and tasted even better the next day when we took the leftover to a picnic. I do think the amount of oil called for is way too much. I only used 1/4c olive oil and 1tbsp butter and still found it a tad oily.
Deelish. I changed this up a bit, by blending some of the ingredients from the carmelized onion and blue cheese orzo recipe from this site. i followed pretty much but I left out the tomatoes and instead of feta I used blue cheese, two heads of fresh spinach and extra garlic. Wonderful with the balsamic and blue cheese together!!
Preoared this recipe using Broccoli Rabe. Just boiled broccoli rabe for short time to take soem of the bitterness out (used same water to cook orzo)and prepared as described in recipe. This was a great dish, everyone loved it.
Great recipe! I'm not a big fan of feta and found it overwhelming, so when I made it a 2nd time, I just sprinkled a bit of feta, along with some diced fresh mozzerella and it was excellent!
I have a new fav recipe! Thank you for sharing! It actually tastes better the next day as left-overs, and if there's tons left and you're looking for something different to do with it, you can just add some spaghetti sauce! The ONLY thing I changed was just adding salt to taste (per plate) and left out the vinegar just because I REALLY don't like vinegar. Otherwise, made as-written and it's incredible!
Great recipe - this is very close to a favorite dish of mine that a local restaurant has stopped making. I reduced the amount of olive oil and added in sundried tomatoes, which gave a lot of flavor. Add them in at the same time as the pine nuts.
well, the family really liked it. I don"t like feta but decided to try the recipe as was written. I decided I really DON't like feta. I let it sit in the fridge for about 2 hours and the pasta seemed to really soak up the spices. I recommend doing that. I will definately make this again but with motzarella instead of feta (my personal preference).
Very good! Next time I will cut the pasta in half but leave everything else the same.
Served this as a cold pasta salad. Used tomato-basil feta and sundried tomatoes. Also used the frozen spinach, as per other reviews. My guests raved about it.
I made this for dinner and thought it was a great recipe for summer. I was able to put it together without really measuring the ingredients, since you can eyeball what amount of each item looks like it will taste good to you. I did use only a small coating of olive oil for the pan. Thanks for the recipe!
so good, so easy, so fast - extra cheese - extra spinach - added sun dried tomatoes and kalamata olives - toasted pine nuts were an excellant touch
Wow! Dont overlook this recipe!! The first time I saw the name, I wasnt impressed but after reading the ingredients I wanted to try it out. This was REALLY REALLY! good and especially for such an 'unlikely' combination. BTW, I didnt have enough pine nuts so I broke up some raw pecams and cooked them with the rest and it was awsome.
this was very good - I did not know what to make for supper, but I had tomatoes, orzo, pine nuts and (frozen) spinach. I made it with some pan fried shrimp. The only thing I would change is the balsamic vinegar. There needs to be more of it! I splashed it over the orzo mixture and mixed it in.
I can't get enough of this. I made it for lunch today and wished for more when I was finished. I made it in smaller proportions since it was just for me and added some tomatoes roasted with olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic, and it was perfection. I prefer this with fresh parmesan rather than the feta. Seems that adding the pine nuts along with the spinach keeps them from toasting a bit too much. So good and so healthy. BTW, I barely wilt my spinach so plenty of nutrients remain, and I love it that way personally.
Excellent! I did not have pine nuts so I used unsalted sunflower seeds and sesame seeds.
OH MY! This is so good I can't even tell you!!! I didn't have orzo, so I just used rotini and it turned out absolutely wonderful!!!!! I definitely will be making this again. (I used a way less oil though)
this recipe was so simple and AMAZING. i could hardly believe something so simple could taste so good!
I liked this! I took to heart that other reviewers said it was a bit bland and added in a spoonful of chicken boullion. I also added a touch of garlic salt and stirred the the tomatoes and feta into the rice. Thanks for the yummy recipe!
Delicious! I over cooked the pine nuts but that was my own fault. And despite that I cook with spinach at least once a week, I always forget how much spinach cooks down once wilted/steamed/etc.... just a reminder!
I've made this several times both with and without pinenuts (I've got friends who are allergic) and it's delicious both ways.
Great recipe. I just went on and added the balsamic to the entire dish and passed the feta and tomatoes for sprinkling. I served this to my future father-in-law along with the Artichoke Chicken and he loved it. Will definitely make again.
I absolutely love this recipe. I cut down on the olive oil to 1/3 cup and I typically add more pine nuts. I also grill chicken with a teriyaki marinade and throw it sliced in with the pasta. My niece and nephew who are notorious picky eaters enjoyed this recipe very much. I've been asked to make it again. Thank you for posting this. Most excellent!
I loved this recipe. It was so delicious and so easy .... I used fresh garlic and basil, and served in a platter which made a lovely presentation on the table (rather than individually) but everyone went for seconds (or more.)
Delicious - I make this a lot. Definitely use the pine nuts, even though they are a bit expensive. Also, I never use 16 oz. orzo, that is just too much for this recipe.
Needed to add extra salt, vinegar, garlic, and fresh parsley and left out the butter completely. Otherwise delicious and really easy!
Excellent recipe. As others suggested, I cut the oil to a little less than 1/4 cup and added sundried tomatoes. Everyone raved about it and had seconds and thirds. I served it with roast chicken and asparagus. It was all very complimentary. Thanks so much for posting this wonderful recipe!
So delicious and beautiful to look at! I made this with Salmon Patties III for dinner with friends. It was a huge hit! I might use a bit more garlic next time. I know for the amount of food, we doubled the tomato and chopped a whole one instead of half of one as well.
Totally enjoyed this. Added sun-dried tomatoes instead of fresh because that is what I had on hand. Yum.
LOVED it! I decided on this recipe to go with grilled salmon and portobello mushrooms as I had spinach that needed using up. I cut the recipe in half and opted to only use 1-2 tablespoons at most of olive oil (leaving out the butter). I didn't feel the quantity or both ingredients were necessary (lots of extra calories to an already calorie rich dish!). As I was out of pine nuts, I decided not to sub another nut in their place. While adding slivered almonds would have been great, again, the calorie thing made me chose otherwise! The balsamic, feta and tomatoes add the perfect finishing touch to an amazing dish!
So easy.. my daughter and I loved it.. but I was glad I heeded advice and cut the oil back.. Also.. I did not stop to think how much 1 lb of pasta would make.. so LOTS of leftovers.. Am going to try adding artichoke hearts and balsamic vinaigrette for a pasta salad,as suggested in another review.. Will definitely be making this again.
Fabulous! I'm making this again very soon. It's just perfect, and like the title proclaims, very elegant! Thanks so much!
Great flavors! I also cut the oil and butter in half, plus added sliced chicken breasts that I had seasoned with garlic salt and browned. Will definitely make this again!
We loved this! It makes a ton, so next time if I'm only making this for two of us, I will cut it in half. I mixed the balsamic vinegar, feta and tomatoes in the bowl and it was very good.
Definitely needed more spinach. I also added some shallots and cut back slightly on the red pepper the second time I made this. A good start though.
I love orzo pasta and I was eager to try this. It was just OK. I only used 1/3 cup of oil, but it was still too much for my liking. Other reviewers are correct...it was bland. Next time, I will add onions, maybe green peppers, and more balsamic vinegar.
I am telling you, this dish is outstanding! I started making this last summer and it has become my signature dish around town, my friends ask me to bring it to EVERY party, infact im making it for the zillionth time on Saturday. I add the tomatos, feta and balsamic (just a dash, too much overwhelms the dish and changes the flavor) to the orzo all at once, it makes for a beautiful presentation, and absolutley delicious!
I found this recipe while in a rush to find a side for my entree (salmon). I had most of the ingredients on hand but still left out quite a few things: the olive oil, crushed red pepper (I typically don't like spicy things), the pine nuts and the tomato. Even without these ingredients, this was a really stunning and simple recipe that is definitely going in the do-again box.
My husband and I loved this. We didn't make any changes to the recipe, and it was fantastic. I will warn you that my kids didn't like it at all, though. Too bad for them - this is a keeper!
This was great!! I halved the oil and butter, doubled the spinach, added grape tomatoes before I added the spinach and used spaghetti squash instead of orzo. The vinegar is a must, definitely a keeper!!
only add add 1/2 cup pine nuts.. all i had on hand.. very good and looks good also..
Delicious! Nothing I would change about this recipe. It was as pretty as it was good!
Love this recipe. It's great as is... also fantastic cooked in chicken broth with fresh grated parm instead of feta and a fresh squeezed lemon instead of balsamic.
What a great side dish, particularly if you are looking for something a little different. As another reviewer noted, without the balsamic vinegar (and I would add the feta cheese and tomatoes), all of which are added at the end, this would be a very bland dish (albeit quite attractive looking). But with the vinegar, cheese, and tomatoes, the side dish really takes off. The recipe is also much easier to prepare than one might assume when viewing the list of ingredients. Excellent.
I toasted some almonds instead, since pine nuts are expensive! It just needs that crunch.
