This recipe from NYT Cooking is a very tasty vegetarian side or main dish. Cook the orzo and set aside. Briefly cook garlic and red pepper flakes, add spinach and toss until it wilts. Add the marinara sauce, basil and spices and bring to a simmer. Add the cooked orzo, stir in the cheese, sprinkle with Parmesan and bake for about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with additional basil and serve warm.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Check the dried spices to make sure they don’t contain colour or anti-caking agents. I used Ursini marinara sauce and Simple brand mozzarella, which contain no additives or preservatives. Genuine Parmesan is free of additives; look for the name stamped on the rind.

Cheesy baked orzo with mozzarella

Ingredients:

Kosher salt and black pepper

1 cup (250 ml) orzo

1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil

2 teaspoons (10 ml) minced garlic (about 2 cloves)

¼ teaspoon (1.25 ml) red-pepper flakes

5 ounces (140 g) fresh baby spinach

1 (24-ounce/750 ml) jar marinara sauce

½ cup (125 ml) chopped fresh basil leaves, plus torn or sliced basil for serving

1 cup (250 ml) shredded low-moisture mozzarella cheese (about 4 ounces)

1/3 cup (82.5 ml) grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

Heat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the orzo and cook according to package instructions until just al dente. Drain the orzo and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a very large (12-inch/30-cm) ovenproof skillet, heat the olive oil over medium. Add the garlic and red-pepper flakes and cook until fragrant (don’t let the garlic burn), about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the spinach and a pinch of salt and cook, tossing often, until wilted, about 2 minutes. Add the marinara, basil, ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) salt and ¼ teaspoon (1.25 ml) black pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, then remove from heat.

Stir the cooked orzo into the sauce. Stir in the mozzarella, sprinkle the Parmesan on top, and bake, uncovered, until the Parmesan is melted and the pasta is heated through, 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with additional basil and serve warm. Serves 4.

From NYT Cooking