Disappearing Zucchini Orzo

When I saw the zucchini in my CSA box I knew that I had to make this dish. I got this recipe from the book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver with Steven L. Hopp and Camille Kingsolver. In this book, the Kingsolver/Hopp family spent a year eating only food grown in their backyard or from neighboring farms. This is the book that started my journey to becoming CSA girl. It's really funny, interesting, and full of good recipes.

This is a great recipe for someone who has a large crop of zucchini; because, you can just keep shredding zucchini and adding it to the orzo. I also like this recipe because it is a good way to use up whatever shredded cheese or fresh herbs that you have in your refrigerator. And, of course, I like this recipe because it tastes good. So, try this out. You can use different herbs and different cheeses. I added a few handfuls or mozzarella and gruyere because I had them in my fridge.

This is the healthy side of comfort food. I think of it as the locavore mac and cheese (especially if you add all the cheese I put in mine).

Disappearing Zucchini Orzo

Adapted from Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver with Steven L. Hopp and Camille Kingsolver

Ingredients

1 pound of orzo

1 chopped onion

2 chopped cloves of garlic

olive oil for saute

1 teaspoon chopped thyme

1 tablespoon chopped oregano

1/4 cup grated parmesan or any hard yellow cheese

1 1/2 cups mozzarella or any other gooey cheese like fontina, gruyere, goat cheese

1. Bring 6 cups of water or chicken stock to a boil and add pasta. Cook pasta according to package -- about 8-12 minutes.

2. Use a cheese grater or mandoline to shred the zucchini. Add olive oil to a pan and heat over medium high heat. Add onions and garlic and salt to taste. Cook until softened. Add the zucchini and cook until zucchini, onions and garlic are golden.

3. Add spices to zucchini mixture, stir thoroughly, and then remove mixture from heat. Combine cheese with cooked orzo, add zucchini mixture, and salt to taste. Can be served cool or room temperature.