Chicken & Sun-Dried Tomato Orzo

The sun-dried tomatoes and Parmesan cheese packs a lot of flavor into this simple orzo dish. Most sun-dried tomatoes are packed in oil, so to avoid adding all that extra oil to the dish, I just rinse the tomatoes under the sink and pat them dry. Although it doesn’t take out all the oil, it cuts down on a lot of the fat. The nutiness of the artichokes is a great addition to this dish. Did you know that the artichoke is neither a fruit or a vegetable. It is the original edible flower, the flowering bud of a Mediterranean thistle plant. Who knew? B didn’t appreciate me sneaking in the artichoke, in fact, he didn’t even know they were in there until I pointed them out. Looks just like chicken! This rustic Italian-inspired dish is great served with some sauteed greens.

Chicken & Sun-Dried Tomato Orzo

Directions

1. Cook orzo in a large saucepan of boiling water until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes or according to package directions. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, place 1 cup water, 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, plum tomato, garlic, 2 teaspoons oregano and vinegar in a blender. Blend until just a few chunks remain.
3. Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, adjusting the heat as necessary to prevent burning, until golden outside and no longer pink in the middle, 3 to 5 minutes per side.
4. Pour the tomato sauce into the pan and bring to a boil. Add the orzo, artichoke hearts and cheese. Cook, stirring, until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Divide among 4 plates.
5. Slice the chicken. Top each portion of pasta with sliced chicken,  tomato sauce and a sprinkling of cheese and dill.