Active Time

　　15 min

　　Total Time

　　15 min

　　Canned artichoke hearts give this dish a Mediterranean flavor without the work involved in preparing fresh ones.

　　

Ingredients

Makes 4 side-dish servings

　　1 1/2 cups orzo (10 oz)

　　3 tablespoons pine nuts

　　1 (14-oz) can whole artichoke hearts (not marinated)

　　1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

　　2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar

　　3/4 teaspoon salt

　　1/2 teaspoon black pepper

　　1/2 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

　　1 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest

　　

Step 1

Cook orzo in a 4- to 5-quart pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain in a colander.

　　

Step 2

While orzo cooks, lightly toast pine nuts in a dry small skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until pale golden, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and cool 1 minute, then coarsely chop.

　　

Step 3

Drain artichoke hearts in a large sieve and rinse well. Pull off leaves from bases of hearts and quarter bases. Rinse leaves and bases well, then drain thoroughly.

　　

Step 4

Stir together oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add orzo, pine nuts, artichokes (leaves and bases), parsley, and zest and toss to combine.