What are some recipes using ORZO pasta that aren't soup recipes?

Could you use orzo with regular marinara sauce? It's so tiny, I imagine the sauce's flavor would overtake it completely.What are some recipes using ORZO pasta that aren't soup recipes?
I am a former chef and use it in rice dishes, sort of a faux rice-a-roni like thing, even with minute rice, just cook it for 2 minutes before adding the rice, but if I use regular rice, I do like the lady before me saute it with the rice like making risotto add the stock, juice or water and other spices and ingredients and bring to the boil, cover and simmer until the rice is ready, covered and let sit to absorb the liquid for 10 minutes.





But you can do like others and make a pasta dish, even cook it with the rice like I said, mix some cooked meat in with it and stuff peppers, eggplant, tomato's, zucchini and even large mushroom caps and bake them in sauces or alone to warm them and get them cooked.What are some recipes using ORZO pasta that aren't soup recipes?
This is so awesome %26amp; easy; I make it all the time! 5 star rating on foodtv.com too!





Ingredients


Salt


1/2 pound orzo pasta


2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan


4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 6 ounces


Pepper


2 tablespoons butter


12 cremini or baby portobello mushrooms, sliced


12 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced


12 white mushrooms, sliced


2 large cloves garlic, chopped


1 tablespoon thyme leaves, a couple of sprigs, chopped


2 large shallots, thinly sliced


2 tablespoons all-purpose flour


1 1/2 cups chicken stock


1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, eyeball it


3 tablespoons heavy cream or half-and-half, a couple turns of the pan


1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, a generous handful





Directions


Heat a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and add orzo pasta. Cook to al dente.





Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan. Season chicken liberally with salt and pepper and add to the hot skillet. Cook the chicken for 5 to 6 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken from the pan and cover with foil to keep warm.





Return the skillet to the heat, turn heat back a bit, and add the butter. Once the butter melts add the mushrooms and brown stirring occasionally for about 4 to 5 minutes. Once the mushrooms are brown season with salt and pepper then add the garlic, thyme and shallots. Cook stirring occasionally for about 2 minutes or until the shallots are wilted. Sprinkle the flour into the pan and cook 2 minutes more. Whisk in the stock, balsamic vinegar and the cream. Turn the heat up to high and simmer for about 2 minutes or until thickened. Slice the chicken on an angle. Add the parsley and the chicken back to the skillet to heat up, about 1 minute.





To serve, pile orzo on dinner plates and top with the sliced chicken and sauce.
No, the marinara is not the right sauce for orzo. This recipe got rave reviews and we loved it too.





Orzo with Parmesan and Basil


From Allrecipes





';This is a simple recipe that everyone loves. For a quick Mediterranean macaroni and cheese, omit the basil. Easily doubled, too!';





INGREDIENTS


2 tablespoons butter


1 cup uncooked orzo pasta


1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth (or sub veg broth)


1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese


1/4 cup chopped fresh basil


salt and pepper to taste


2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil





DIRECTIONS


Melt butter in heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in orzo and saute until lightly browned.


Stir in chicken stock and bring to boil. Cover. Reduce heat and simmer until orzo is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 15 - 20 minutes.





Mix in Parmesan cheese and basil. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to shallow bowl. Garnish with basil sprigs.





- - - - -





This is a great one for lunch and it's pretty light and healthy.





Spring Orzo Salad


From Prevention





Ingredients


2/3 cup orzo


1/3 cup finely chopped red bell pepper


1/3 cup finely chopped orange be
My son and I love orzo, and I prepare it often. The orzo usually takes 8 minutes according to the recipe, but what the recipe doesn't say is: that orzo completely absorbs all of the liquid that it is cooked in. Instead of water, I use chicken broth, and I start out like this: in a pot, I melt a bit of butter, add in all the vegetables, onions, garlic, peppers and saute them lightly, add in orzo and brown, add in the broth(14 ounces) and stir, cover and cook on low heat. In the meantime, I would heat the marinara or other sauce on low, and when orzo has absorbed all of the broth turn stove off, add in your sauce a little at a time, but don't let the orzo cook any longer.
Here's my favorite for orzo.





Boil 1 cup of orzo. Chop up half a bag of baby spinach, drain and rinse a can of garbanzo beans. (Add any other veggies as you like, this is the base recipe.) Zest one lemon, juice 2, combine with 1/3 cup olive oil, salt, pepper, minced garlic, and a big pinch of dried oregano and shake in a jar. Toss the drained orzo over the spinach and beans and toss to wilt. Add the vinaigrette and toss. Top with a package of crumbled feta, toasted pine nuts, chopped green onions and cilantro. It's my favorite either warm or cold dish.
Orzo is better with a lighter sauce and probably best with simply melted butter and a little Parmesan. You could add some garlic to the butter and grind some black pepper over the pasta before serving, but you're right -- a heavier sauce will just obliterate the orzo.