Braden Family Cookbook

Chuck Braden

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Orzo with green beans, feta and tomatoes                Ray  

Makes enough for 8 pax  

1 1/4 pounds haricots verts (thin French green beans) or green beans
2 cups orzo (rice shaped pasta)
2 medium onions
4 garlic cloves
6 medium vine-ripened tomatoes
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leafed parsley leaves
2 cups crumbled feta (about 12 ounces)
Salt and pepper

Fill a 4-quart kettle 3/4 full with salted water and bring to a boil for beans and orzo.

Chop onion and mince garlic. Quarter and seed tomatoes. Cut quarters lengthwise into 1/4-inch thick slices. Trim beans and cut into 1-inch pieces. In a large skillet cook onion and garlic in oil over moderate heat until onion is softened. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring, until tomatoes are softened, about 2 minutes. Remove skillet from heat.

Have ready a bowl of ice and cold water. In boiling salted water blanch beans 1 minute. With a slotted spoon transfer beans to ice water to stop cooking. Drain beans well in a colander and pat dry. Add beans to tomato mixture and return water in kettle to a boil. Boil orzo until al dente and drain in colander. Add orzo to bean mixture with vinegar, parsley, feta, and salt and pepper to taste, tossing to combine well.