Greek Orzo Stuffed Bell Peppers with Lemon Basil Tomatoes
Orzo is an Italian word for "barley" because the pasta is thought to resemble that grain. But it isn't call "Orzo" in Italy. It's called "Risi," which means "rice."
Orzo is an ancient creation that came from the Mediterranean basin, but not necessarily from Italy. Conventional wisdom says that pasta was a discovery from China brought to the Mediterranean through the voyages of Marco Polo. Is that story even true? Italy itself does not embrace that tale, and food scholars know that pasta was being eaten all around the Mediterranean long before Marco Polo sailed to China in 1271.
There are historical texts that mention food made from dried sheets of dough from as far back as the 5th Century, and it may well have originated with the Arabs. They invaded Sicily in the 7th Century, so it is likely they brought this foodstuff with them. However, it is a matter of conjecture that this would have marked the time that pasta production began in Sicily. Centuries earlier, the Romans had something rustically resembling pasta called "Lagana", thought to be the origin of "Lasagna." And noodles were being consumed in Asian countries for thousands of years, even before Roman times.
Orzo has been around for centuries in Spain and Greece as well as Italy, but the truth is no one really knows its origin.
This recipe was captured from the Half Baked Harvest website, but it had been plagiarized without credit on several other sites, so like the pasta itself, I'm unsure of this recipe's true origin. But it made a delicious accompaniment to the Kitchen Tapestry recipe for Rack of Lamb with Red Wine Reduction.
Orzo Stuffed Bell Peppers with Lemon Basil Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 2 red bell peppers, halved with stem and seeds removed
- 3 tbsp garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp powdered oregano
- 2 tbsp olive oil, plus 2 more for drizzling
- 4 cups orzo, cooked al dente, according to package directions, drained
- 4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, finely chopped (like, Mazzetta)
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1/4 cup banana pepper rings or pepperoncini, finely chopped (like, Mazzetta or Mt. Olive)
- 1/4 cup pine nuts, left whole
- sea salt to taste
- freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 1/2 cup cherry, grape or cherub tomatoes, halved or quartered
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- zest of 1/2 fresh lemon
- pinch of red pepper flakes
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F with a rack in the top third of the oven.
- Put the pepper halves in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle in the olive oil, add the garlic, oregano and season with sea salt and black pepper. Toss well to coat.
- Put the peppers cut side up in a baking dish and roast them for 30-35 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
- In the meantime, add the cooked orzo and all remaining ingredients into the same mixing bowl as you used for the peppers and toss well to combine.
- Add all the ingredients for the lemon basil tomatoes to another small mixing bowl and toss well to combine.
- When the peppers have cooled, spoon about a cup of the orzo mixture into the cavity of each pepper half. You will have more mixture than the peppers can contain, and that's okay. Just pile it on.
- Return the peppers to the oven and bake for another 20-25 minutes to ensure everything is heated through.
- Place a loaded bell pepper on your dinner plate, spooning up all the overflowing orzo mixture. Top with 2-3 tablespoons of the lemon basil tomatoes before serving.
