Thursday, April 8, 2010

Review: Giada’s Orzo Pasta (plus her Creamy Orzo recipe!)


This is the fourth Giada de Laurentiis food product I’ve reviewed. Previously I’ve blogged about her Italian Roast Coffee (which I found too mild), her Vegetable Marinara Sauce (again, too bland) and her Farfalle Pasta (which was too “gummy”). I did like her Garlic Parmesan Vinaigrette, but that was about it. So on Easter, I tried her Creamy Orzo recipe, which I found here on the Food Network site.

To be honest, it’s really hard to screw up Orzo. I mean it is what it is – tiny, rice shaped pasta. It’s not a unique shape like her version of Farfalle that was hard to cook evenly. That said, Giada’s Orzo is fine. Her recipe was very good, and a hit at the Easter dinner table, with a few modifications… first, I didn’t need any additional liquid besides the cream, so I think the “reserve liquid” from the boiling water is unnecessary (and furthermore, you could just use some regular water if you really need more liquid). I added more grated cheese than the recipe called for – probably a full cup. And, like many of reviewers on Food Network, I found the recipe lacking salt, so I would liberally add more salt and pepper, based on your tastes. When I make this again, I will also try cooking the Orzo in chicken broth (vs. water) to add even more flavor.

2 comments:

sweetsy said...

Just an FYI--the reason for adding some of the "reserved liquid" is that the water retains the starches from the boiled pasta and serves to thicken the sauce. Very common in Italian cooking:)

Unknown said...

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