Greek Meatballs and Toasted Orzo

This recipe is slightly altered from the one I watched on the Rachael Ray Show.  The meatball recipe is a great one to double and freeze.  Super flavourful and a different spin on your standard meatball and pasta night.

For a video tutorial:
http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/recipe/12901_Greek_Meatballs_and_Toasted_Orzo/index.html

Ingredients:

4 cups chicken stock
2 slices white bread, crusts trimmed
Milk, to soak bread
1 pound ground beef OR lamb
1 egg
salt and pepper
1 tsp dry oregano or marjoram
1/8 cup mint, finely chopped
1/2 cup parsley, divided in half
3 tbsp grated onion
2 large cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
2 tsp lemon zest
1/2-1 box chopped frozen spinach, defrosted
3 tbsp butter
1 1/2 cups orzo pasta
juice of 1lemon
1 cup feta, crumbled

Directions:

Warm stock in a medium saucepan and preheat oven to 400.  In a small bowl, soak bread in milk.

Place meat in a mixing bowl and add egg.  Wring out excess milk from bread and crumble into meat bowl.  Season meat with salt, pepper, oregano or marjoram, mint, 1/4 cup parsley, the onion, garlic, lemon zest and spinach (start with half the box and add more if you want it).  In a pan cook a small bit of the meatball mixture and taste it.  If it needs more seasoning, like salt, add it now.  You can't redo the seasoning after they've all been rolled and cooked.  Roll 20 meatballs and arrange them on a nonstick or parchment/tinfoil lined baking sheet.  Bake about 15-18 minutes until cooked through and browned.

While the meatballs are in the oven, melt butter in saucepan over medium to medium-high heat and add pasta.  Brown until nutty and fragrant, and deep golden in colour.  Stir in a few ladles of warm stock and allow it to almost cook away before adding more, like preparing risotto.  Keep adding stock a little at a time until it's all incorporated and pasta is al dente.  Stir in lemon juice and feta cheese.

Serve orzo in shallow bowls topped with meatballs.