ROASTED GARLIC ORZO

Roasted Garlic Orzo image

Yield Serves 2

Number Of Ingredients 5

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3 large garlic cloves, unpeeled
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 teaspoon poppy seeds if desired
1/2 cup (about 3 ounces) orzo (rice-shaped pasta)

Steps:

Preheat oven to 450°F.
Tightly wrap garlic in foil and roast in middle of oven about 25 minutes, or until tender. Carefully unwrap garlic and let cool slightly. Remove skin from cloves and mash into a paste. Transfer garlic paste to a bowl and stir in butter and parsley.
While garlic is roasting, in a small skillet dry-roast poppy seeds over moderate heat, shaking skillet until fragrant, being careful not to burn them. Add seeds to garlic mixture.
While garlic is roasting, in a saucepan of boiling salted water cook orzo until tender and reserve about 1/4 cup cooking water. Drain orzo well and add to garlic mixture with enough reserved cooking water to melt butter and prevent orzo from sticking together. Season orzowith salt and pepper.