cilantro lemon orzo with toasted almonds

this is one of those recipes that happened on accident, based on the limited contents of my fridge.  thankfully, the lemon and cilantro’s bright flavors compliment the hardiness of the whole wheat and toasted almonds in all the right ways.  at first i thought it might be a sort of pasta salad, served cold and perfect for a picnic or packed lunch.  but as i couldn’t resist nibbling on it immediately, i realized it could also be served as a warm pasta dish with dinner.

cilantro lemon orzo with toasted almonds
1 c dried whole wheat orzo
2 c water
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp minced cilantro
1 tbsp hummus
1 tbsp almond or other non-dairy milk
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 c almonds

begin by cooking the orzo – a rice shaped pasta.  i cooked mine like rice so it would be sticky and soft rather than al dente.  boil with the water and salt over moderate heat until all of the water cooks off, about 15-20 minutes.

meanwhile chop your cilantro and squeeze some lemon juice.

assemble a dressing from the cilantro, hummus, almond milk and lemon juice – which by the way also tastes great as a dressing on any salad.

then toast your almonds.  i coarsely chopped whole almonds but you can used pre-sliced or slivered almonds.  and i toasted them by tossing them in a dry frying pan over moderate heat, but this can also be done in the oven.

mix the cooked orzo, cilanto lemon dressing and toasted almonds all together.  serve warm or chilled.

yields 2 servings