Question:
My husband can’t eat shrimp, but I really wanted to try the Garlic Lemon Shrimp with Orzo and broccoli recipe. I was very pleased to see that you adapted it for chicken instead. I was wondering, though, can I substitue Arborio rice (I already have some on hand) for orzo in this recipe instead or do I have to use orzo?
Answer:
Arborio rice is used mostly for risottos, and needs a different cooking method (a little bit of broth at a time, until all combined, then more, etc). I’d say you could try it, but my hunch is you want to stick with the orzo. Orzo isn’t a rice — actually, a pasta — and the starchy item in this dish needs to be pre-cooked before you add it. You might also get away with using plain rice (precook it) and adding it, but I think I would stick with the orzo if I could.
