Barilla® Expands Chickpea Pasta Offerings with Versatile Orzo Shape

Offering cooks the opportunity to get creative in the kitchen, the new rice-shaped pasta will be available nationwide starting in April

NORTHBROOK, Ill., March 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Barilla, the world's leading pasta producer, announced the newest addition to its line of Chickpea pastas – Orzo! Made with only one ingredient and without any additives like xanthan gum, this short-cut pasta includes 19g of plant-based protein per 3.5oz serving and is certified gluten-free.

Orzo is a rice-shaped pasta that is delicious in both warm and cold applications, from salads, bowls, and soups to pastas and risottos. Its unique shape allows families and food lovers to be creative with many of their meal choices, as the cut offers versatility for any pasta or rice dish.

"As a leader in pasta, we understand that consumers are always looking for versatile pasta cuts and shapes that can be featured in a variety of unique dishes," said Jean-Pierre Comte, President of Barilla Americas. "Chickpea Orzo is one that can be used outside of traditional pasta recipes, and we're excited to see what our fans can create. The options are truly endless."

Just in time for spring, Executive Chef of Barilla America, Lorenzo Boni, is introducing a Chickpea Orzo Tabbouleh Salad recipe that features a variety of herbal notes and fresh citrus flavors. The unique recipe includes a number of fresh ingredients, such as:

• 1 box Barilla Chickpea Orzo
• ½ cup chopped parsley
• 2 tbsp. chopped mint
• 3 diced plum tomatoes
• 1 diced English cucumber
• ¼ cup lemon juice

For a more traditional Chickpea Orzo dish, Chef Lorenzo recommends an umami-packed Mushroom Risotto, featuring a mix of white wine, chicken broth, grated Parmigiano cheese, and chopped parsley.

Barilla Chickpea Orzo can be found in the pasta aisle in April at Kroger and Meijer, with more retailers to be added throughout the rest of the year. For a specific retailer near you, visit the product locator at www.Barilla.com.

The complete line of Barilla Chickpea and Red Lentil pasta is currently available in seven different cuts: Chickpea Orzo, Chickpea Penne, Chickpea Spaghetti, Chickpea Rotini, Red Lentil Penne, Red Lentil Spaghetti and Red Lentil Rotini. While prices vary per retailer, all varieties have a suggested retail price of $3.49. 

About the Barilla Group
Barilla is a family business, not listed on the Stock Exchange, chaired by the brothers Guido, Luca and Paolo Barilla. It was founded by their great-grandfather Pietro Barilla, who opened a bakery in Parma in 1877. Today, Barilla is renowned in Italy and around the world for the excellence of its food products. With its brands – Barilla, Mulino Bianco, Pan di Stelle, Gran Cereale, Harrys, Pavesi, Wasa, Filiz, Yemina and Vesta, Misko, Voiello, Academia Barilla, First, Catelli, Lancia, Splendor and Pasta Evangelists – it advocates tasty, hearty and wholesome nutrition, inspired by the Mediterranean Diet and the Italian lifestyle. 

When Pietro opened his shop 145 years ago, the main aim was to make good food. That principle has now become the Barilla way of doing business, with 8,700 people working for the company and a supply chain that shares its values and passion for quality.

The Group's commitment is to offer people the joy that good, well-made food can bring them, produced with select ingredients, to contribute to a better present and future. 

Since 1987, a historical archive has been collecting and preserving the company's 145-year history, now a resource open to all via the portal-museum www.archiviostoricobarilla.com. For further information, visit: www.barillagroup.com; Twitter: @barillagroup; LinkedIn: Barilla Group; Instagram: @barillapeople. 

To learn more: www.barillagroup.com; Twitter: @barillagroup  

Media Contacts:
Katie McNicholas
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Will Bartholomew
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SOURCE Barilla America Inc.