Spinach Pilaf

I have made this recipe many times sometimes using arborio and sometimes with imported Italian orzo. I do find the orzo from Italy cooks up better with a little tooth to it, and not mushy like some of the local brands. I love this recipe with the orzo. I also know that it is traditional to use orzo in this type of preparation, at least with the many local greek restaurants in my area. I also use tin Italian San Marzano tomatoes in winter when I can't get good fresh ones. Just before serving I grate Greek Kefalotyri cheese on top of pilaf in the serving dish. My husband loves this.

Delicious pilaf with lots of spinach. However, I was unable to fit the called-for 3 lbs of spinach into my pot. I had a 2.5 lb bag, and still used only about 3/4 of it. I used a large dutch oven, sautéed the onion and rice as directed, and then added the spinach and water. I kept adding more spinach as it started to cook down, trying to fit it all in. The unintended consequence is that I lost a lot of water (steam), and so needed to add more water and cook it about 7 minutes longer than directed.

But I will say it was better than expected, and the lemon zest among the other final herbs really elevated this dish.