A Ten Minute Dinner- Pasta with Sicilian Flavors

This is orzo, a pasta shaped like rice. It cooks quickly in salted boiling water, and by quickly ,I mean in under 8 minutes. If one could not find orzo, there are any number of other small pastas to substitute .

In the 8 minutes it is cooking you can put together a quick condiment of pitted olives, grated hard Italian cheese( I used Romano), capers, golden raisins, panko breadcrumbs, and olive oil.

Put a tablespoon of olive oil in a small frying pan, add 2 tablespoons of whole pitted olives, 2 or 3 tablespoons of both panko crumbs and the grated cheese, a teaspoon of capers, and several tablespoons of golden raisins. Mix well and warm over medium heat until crumbs are lightly toasted. Then place the condiment on your orzo. You may want to drizzle on a little olive oil as well. You can add more of any ingredient you like. I cooked a cup of orzo, which would serve two. You could also add a dash of Italian seasoning. I used Za'atar.

This is a fast meal for a tired evening when you are hungry after a long day. It combines sweetness, saltiness, and crunchiness.