Greek Orzo tossed with spinach, olives and feta cheese makes for a simple vegetarian entree or a flavorful side dish for chicken or lamb. We recently updated the recipe with a new wine pairing suggestion — a Provence rosé, perfect for spring and summer!
Spinach, olives and feta combine on top of my favorite pizza, so I thought I should try that combo in some other recipes. Today we feature those ingredients in a Greek orzo recipe that is easy to put together for a simple vegetarian entree or side dish.
Chickpeas didn’t make it into the title of the dish, but they give it substance that makes this work as an entree, which is the way that we enjoyed it. If serving this Greek Orzo as a side, you could skip the chickpeas if you like.
Wine Pairing for Greek Orzo
We naturally though of pairing this recipe with Greek wine, but were disappointed with the Greek white wine we tried with this initially.
During a recent remake of this recipe, we went in a different direction, trying it with two different Provence rosés. I would give a slight nod to the 2018 Bastide Des Deux Lunes ($15, 13% ABV), from a family producer located in Puget-Ville, west of St. Tropex in the heart of Provence.
As you can see from the photo, the Bastide Des Deux Lunes is very light in color in the glass, with just a subtle hint of pink. With melon and hibiscus on the nose, this rosé has peach fruit with notes of honey. This would be a great rosé to sip poolside when the weather (finally) gets warm enough, but it also pairs nicely with a lighter dish like the Greek Orzo.
The Bastide Des Deux Lunes is comprised of 80% Grenache, 10% Mourvedre, and 10% Rolle — the grape known as Vermentino in Italy.
So for now I am saying pairing our Greek Orzo with a good Provence rosé. I’m sure I will be making this recipe again soon and trying different pairings. Meanwhile, if you find a wine you like with it please let me know!
Recipe card
Greek Orzo with Spinach, Olives and Feta
Orzo tossed with spinach, olives and feta for an easy and tasty Greek flavored dish that can serve as a vegetarian main or a side dish.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 20 mins
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main
- Method: Sauté
- Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 12 ozs orzo
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 5 cups baby spinach
- ⅓ cup feta cheese
- ¼ cup olives, sliced
- 14.5 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Instructions
- Heat a pot of water to boil for the orzo, and cook according to package instructions.
- Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add the garlic, cook for one minute.
- Stir in about half of the spinach along with another tablespoon olive oil. When the first batch of spinach begins to wilt, stir in the remaining spinach. When that begins to wilt, put heat to very low to keep warm while the orzo finishes cooking. The spinach will take under 5 minutes to cook.
- Drain the cooked orzo, and toss immediately with the remaining olive and the garlic spinach mixture.
- Finish the dish by stirring in the olives, feta cheese, and chickpeas. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- The addition of chickpeas makes this orzo dish a good vegetarian main course. If you are serving it as a side dish, you can omit the chickpeas for a lighter dish.
Want to try another orzo recipe? Try this Middle Eastern Chicken Orzo.
Karla @SmallTownRambler
This looks so delicious! Anything with feta and spinach and I’m in! Thanks for sharing…I will be pinning this for sure.
Cooking Chat
thanks, I’m a big fan of the combo too!
Carol Borchardt
This is the type of dish I could live on! Some grilled shrimp or chicken on the side and I’m in heaven! Pinned!
Cooking Chat
Thanks Carol! I bet either shrimp or chicken would be great with this alright!
Raju nayak
Nicefood
Mediterranean Man
Quinoa replacing the orzo made a robust, tasty meal.
Cooking Chat
That’s a nice healthy swap!
Lisa Bryan
Looks delicious and hearty! A great fall meal.
Elaine
I really like to read your thoughts about the wine and how well (or not) it goes with your food. That is quite an interesting side of cooking for me and I look forward to more!
Cooking Chat
Thanks Elaine! As you can see I enjoy experimenting with and reporting on food & wine pairings!
Cindy Gordon
Greek flavors are the best! These ingredients create such a delicious recipe!
Cooking Chat
Thanks, I agree about Greek flavors!
Tisha
I’ve never tried Orzo but it looks amazing in this dish!!
Cooking Chat
Orzo is a very versatile little pasta. Worth trying!
Chichi
This recipe looks delish. Definitely giving it a go soon. Thanks for sharing
Linda
The hubs and I really enjoy Greek wine, so it’s time to make this Greek orzo for dinner.
Cooking Chat
Sounds like a good plan!