Looking for an easy side dish for a small dinner party?
The pasta can be cooked and the dish assembled ahead of time, then baked just before serving making this perfect for entertaining.
Or just a relaxed evening.
Florentine, or 'cooked in the style of Florence', means that there is spinach in the dish. Here the spinach is combined with cooked pasta and shredded cheese and baked until bubbly.
I but frozen leaf spinach in 2 lb bags. It's frozen in squares of 2oz each so grabbing a 'serving' is easy.
8oz (250gr) frozen spinach 225gr, 8oz
1/3 cup orzo 56gr, 2oz
2 shallots 60gr, 2.1oz
2 tsp butter 9.5gr, .34oz
2/3 cup plus 2 tbs chicken stock 175gr, 5.3oz
1/2 tsp marjoram
1/2 tsp basil
1/4 cup (1oz, 30gr) grated Parmesan 25gr, .89oz
1/4 cup (1oz, 30gr) shredded cheese 30gr, 1oz
Finely chop shallots. In small saucepan over medium heat sauté shallots in butter for 5 minutes. Add orzo and sauté 1 minute. Add stock and herbs, cover and simmer until done, 15 - 20 minutes. All stock will be absorbed. Thaw spinach and squeeze out excess moisture. When orzo is done add the spinach and shredded cheese. Stir well to combine. Pour into a lightly oiled glass baking dish, just large enough to hold it. Sprinkle with Parmesan and bake at 375F (190C) until it starts to brown; about 15 minutes. Remove and serve directly from baking dish.
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Entire Recipe / per serving
Calories: 598 / 299
Total Carbohydrates: 65 /32.5
Dietary Fiber: 8 / 4
Total Fat: 25 / 12.5
Saturated Fat: 14 / 7
Cholesterol: 70 / 35
Protein: 33 / 16.5
Calcium: 746 / 373
Sodium: 958 / 479
Glycemic Index: low
I try to be accurate, but I do not guarantee it. I use 'grams' as the unit of weight; with an approximate conversion to ounces.For more recipes check out my internet cook book: Easy Gourmet Dinners.
