ORZO "RISOTTO" | Peace and Love in the Kitchen

ORZO “RISOTTO”

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Note to self: Next time, leave the parsley out until the picky eaters have been served. “Eww, what’s that green stuff in my pasta?” is not the way to start a meal.

Risotto is made with short-grain Italian rice. It is a dish that is loved for its rich and creamy texture, but making it takes time and effort. You don’t add water and boil as you would pasta. You add a little broth; stir until it’s absorbed; and then repeat until the rice has absorbed enough broth to become al dente. That takes about 20 minutes of standing and stirring.

Orzo is “short cut” risotto. It is a rice-shaped pasta made from semolina, so it can be boiled to al dente rather than stirred. To make it rich and creamy, you saute it in oil with onions and garlic as you do risotto, but then you just add broth, cover, and cook. It is not a perfect substitute for risotto, but it is a very nice side dish for families with pasta-loving children and parents who like a little something nice without all the work.

3 cups chicken broth
2 Tbsp butter (or 1 Tbsp butter + 1 Tbsp olive oil)
3/4 cup onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups orzo, regular or whole wheat
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1/2 cup Italian flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Optional Ingredients:
1 Tbsp fresh lemon zest
1 1/2 Tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped

1. SAUTE: In a saucepan, heat the chicken broth. In a large heavy skillet, melt butter over MEDIUM heat. Add onion and saute to tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and orzo and saute 5 minutes more.

2. BOIL: Add warm stock to orzo mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and reduce heat to MEDIUM LOW. Stir orzo every 5 minutes or so to prevent the pasta from sticking. Cook until all liquid is absorbed and pasta is tender, about 15-20 minutes.

3. SERVE: Add cheese and parsley (lemon zest and thyme if using); stir; and serve.

VARIATION: ORZO WITH SHRIMP AND ASPARAGUS
The addition of steamed asparagus and sauteed shrimp to the recipe, above, turns the orzo into the main event instead of just the side.

To saute shrimp: Melt 2 Tbsp butter + 2 Tbs olive oil in a skillet. In batches so as not to crowd, add 1 lb peeled and deveined shrimp which have been patted dry and saute over MEDIUM HIGH heat until they turn pink, about 1 minute per side. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

To cook asparagus: place washed and trimmed asparagus spears in a skillet of boiling water and cook until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Chop spears into thirds. Set aside.

At step #3, above, when orzo is done, toss with shrimp and asparagus and serve. Lemon zest and thyme are still good options if you like.

Peace and love from my kitchen to yours,
Waverly