This Spinach and Parmesan Orzo is an easy, cheesy and delicious side dish that pairs well with practically any meat course!
Yield: 5(1/2 cup) servings
Ingredients
1tablespoonlight butter, I used Land O’Lakes
1cup(6 oz weighed) dry whole wheat orzo
2clovesgarlic, minced
2cupsfat free chicken broth, or vegetable broth if making vegetarian
4ozfresh chopped spinach
1 ½ozfreshly grated Parmesan, I use the smallest holed side of my box grater to shred
½teaspoondried basil
½teaspoonItalian seasoning
A sprinkling of freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
In a large skillet or saute pan, bring the butter over medium high heat until melted. Add the dry orzo and stir to coat. Cook for about 2 minutes until some pieces of the orzo begin to brown. Add the minced garlic and stir together. Cook for an additional minute or so until garlic is fragrant.
Add the broth to the pan and bring to a boil (mine was basically boiling right away). Cover the pan and reduce heat to a simmer. Allow to simmer for about 14-15 minutes until the broth is absorbed and the orzo is tender. Stir in the chopped spinach and continue stirring for 1-2 minutes until the spinach is wilted. Add the Parmesan, basil, Italian seasoning and black pepper and stir together until thoroughly combined. Serve immediately.
Notes
To view your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site, click here!Nutrition Information:172 calories, 25 g carbs, 1 g sugars, 4 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 8 g protein, 3 g fiber (from myfitnesspal.com)MyWW SmartPoints per (1/2 cup) serving: (SP calculated using the recipe builder on weightwatchers.com)Green: 4 SmartPoints/ Blue: 4 SmartPoints/ Purple: 2 SmartPointsWeight Watchers Points Plus: 4 per (1/2 cup) serving (P+ calculated using the recipe builder on weightwatchers.com)Adapted from AllRecipes
Author: Emily Bites
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Pasta Side Dish, Weight Watchers, WW Pasta, WW Side Dish