Broccoli and Orzo

A great tasting quick and simple side dish.

I made this with left over steamed broccoli from the night before but you can easily prepare this in less than 15 minutes. The trick to keeping pasta dishes low in points is to bulk them up with extra vegetables.

Broccoli and Orzo
Servings: 4 • Serving Size: 1/4th or recipe • Old Points: 3 pts • Points+: 5 pts
Calories: 174.1 • Fat: 4.3 • Carbs: 30.2 • Fiber: 3.8  • Protein: 6.0

• 4.5 oz uncooked orzo pasta
• 2 cups of fresh broccoli florets
  
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed and finely chopped
• 3 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• salt and fresh pepper to taste

Trim stems off broccoli, cut into small pieces and season with salt. Steam covered with a little water until cooked, careful not to overcook. When broccoli is cooked, remove from pan and chop into smaller pieces.

Meanwhile, on a high flame in a medium pan add water and salt, cover till boils. Add pasta and cook as directed. Reserve about 1/2 cup liquid before draining. Drain orzo in a colander and add oil to the pan. Saute garlic a few minutes until golden, add broccoli, season with salt and mix well. Add orzo and stir to combine all. Add a little reserved liquid if the pasta seems dry. Serve with freshly grated cheese.