Chicken & sun-dried tomato orzo

Orzo is a pasta I don't tend to cook with too often, but I really enjoy its texture. It's similar to rice, but in pasta form. I've made this dish several times and keep adjusting the recipe to my liking. Overall it's a very light meal, which is often not the case for pasta dishes. It's full of a well-balanced combination of flavors; from the fresh marjoram to the sun-dried tomatoes. Serves about five people.

Chicken & Sun-dried Tomato Orzo
INGREDIENTS

• 9 oz. orzo
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil, chopped & divided
• 2 plum tomatoes, diced
• 1 cup vegetable juice, low sodium
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 1/4 tsp. fresh marjoram, chopped & divided
• 1 tbsp. red-wine vinegar
• 3 tsp. oil from sun-dried tomato jar
• 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed (1-1 1/4 pounds)
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
• 9 oz. artichoke hearts, from jar, chopped
• 1/2 cup finely shredded Romano cheese, divided
• 
  
• DIRECTIONS
• 1. In a large saucepan of boiling water, cook orzo until tender, 8—10 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and rinse.
• 1. Place 1/2 cup water, 1 cup vegetable juice, 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, diced tomatoes, garlic, 1 1/4 tsp. marjoram, vinegar and 3 tsp. sun-dried oil in a blender. Blend until just a few chunks remain.
• 1. Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat 1 tbsp. 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, 5 to 7 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate; tent with foil to keep warm.
• 1. Pour the tomato sauce into the pan and bring to a boil. Measure out 1/2 cup sauce to a small bowl. Add the remaining 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes to the pan along with the orzo, artichoke hearts and 6 tbsp. cheese. Cook, stirring, until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes.
• 1. For each serving, slice chicken and place on pasta with 2 tbsp. of the reserved tomato sauce, a sprinkling of the remaining cheese and marjoram.
• 1. Serves 5.
• Source: Adapted from Eating Well

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