“I like this rice.”

“It’s not rice. It’s pasta that’s shaped like rice.”

“It looks like rice.”

“But it’s not. It’s wheat, actually.”

“I don’t think it is. Because why would you even do that? Why would you shape pasta like rice?”

“I don’t know. Because it cooks quickly? Because Italians like a variety of pastas? Just eat it already!”

These are the kinds of intensely personal discussions we had at our dinner table recently.

Then we had a nearly identical conversation with the child who missed the first exchange because she was away from home at dinnertime.

In case it was unclear, my daughters tried orzo for the first time this week.

It went surprisingly well.

Even my picky eater, who at first wanted the plain chicken breast I had baked at the same time, finally capitulated and tried a bite. Once she had it, she was hooked.

Honestly, I was shocked. Usually she’s the kind of kid who would continue to hike in short sleeves in 15-degree weather just to prove she was right when she claimed she didn’t need a jacket.

You know the type.

You probably raised the type.

Hey, you may even BE the type.

But I digress.

This recipe was kind of a random trial, borne of the fact that Aldi had orzo in the Aisle of Shame and I had lemons and chicken breast on hand.

I did not have the spinach the original recipe called for. Maybe because of that, my dish seemed far too soupy to please my family. In the end, I used the entire bag of orzo – the recipe called only for a cup, or about half my bag – and the consistency was perfect for us.

The recipe below is the dish as I made it, but I’m noting where the original directions recommended adding spinach.

ONE-PAN CREAMY LEMON CHICKEN ORZO

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds chicken breast (I used 3 large breasts)
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 Tablespoon oil
1 onion, diced
3 teaspoon minced garlic
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
3 teaspoons Dijon mustard
16 ounces orzo pasta
Optional: two handfuls of spinach or other green leafy vegetable
3 large lemons (the zest from one, the juice from two, and one sliced thin)
1 (6 ounce) tub grated Parmesan cheese (not green can type; something sold in the cooler section)
1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions
■ Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces. Season with paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper. Heat a deep skillet over medium heat. If you do not have a deep skillet, use a dutch oven or similar instead. Add oil to pan and add chicken to oil. Cook for about 5 minutes, until outside of chicken pieces are white. It is OK if chicken is not cooked through yet. Remove chicken to a plate and set aside.
■ Add onion to pan and cook until it becomes translucent. Add garlic. Cook for about a minute, taking care not to let garlic brown. Add chicken broth and mustard to the pan, stirring thoroughly to combine and clean browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Add pasta to the mixture and stir. Add spinach if using. Allow mixture to simmer for a few minutes. If mixture begins to look too dry, add water about a quarter cup at a time. Add chicken, Parmesan cheese, and all lemon items (zest, juice, slices) to the pan and stir thoroughly. Allow to simmer until all ingredients (especially orzo and chicken) are cooked through.
■ Just before serving, add cream and mix thoroughly. Allow cream to warm through and serve hot. If your family is weirded out by lemon slices (wimps), pick those out before you serve them.

Amelia Plair is a mom and high school teacher in Starkville. Email reaches her at [email protected].

Amelia Plair is a Starkville resident who writes occasional food columns.