Orzotto

I know... I know... It's been a while!
The holidays always have me trying so many new recipes, it can be overwhelming and often times I find myself being overly ambitious (Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Brownies??). So today we are visiting an old stand by. I've been cooking this "orzotto" recipe longer than I've had this blog, so I'm surprised actually that it hasn't made it's way to these pages yet. 

I first came across this recipe for Lemon Basil Orzotto on the Cooking Channel in 2011. I loved the idea of a risotto made with pasta, it as like a light-bulb going off in my head. And this recipe is so simple that it quickly became my go-to dinner dish when I needed something fast and delicious. I started with whole wheat orzo pasta to add an extra layer of flavor, and because I think it's got sucha  a great bite and it's so good for you. But soon I found myself adapting the recipe to use seasonal vegetables, or sometimes just whatever I could find in my kitchen. This is the perfect recipe to share with friends and family because of how easy it is to variate this dish so that it's always fresh and exciting, every time you make it.

Butternut Squash variation I posted on my Instagram in 2013

For this post, I used asparagus, zucchini, and shiitake mushrooms because they are three flavors I just can't get enough of in the fall. There is something so earthy and grounding about the taste of this dish. I want to just carry my plate to the couch and put on a movie.

My sister recently borrowed this recipe for a dinner party and said that is was "by far the crowd favorite". 

Enjoy!

Asparagus, Zucchini and Mushroom Orzotto

Ingredients: 

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of butter (optional) 
• 1/2 onion diced 
• 1 1/2 cups orzo 
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (I usually have a heavy hand here) 
• 3 cups vegetable stock or broth (Rapunzel Bouillon is my favorite) 
• 1 zucchini quartered and thinly sliced
• 1 bunch asparagus chopped 
• 1 1/2 cup shiitake mushrooms diced
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (or pecorino romano) 
• 1/4 cup heavy cream or soy cream 
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup pine nuts (optional)

Tips: 

• Choose a wine that you like to drink. Sacrifice 1/2 cup to your dish, and pour yourself a glass while you man the stove. 

• Substitute Farro or Pearl Barley for the Orzo.

• Toast your pine nuts for 2 minutes in a dry sauce pan to bring out the flavor. (Keep and eye on 'em, they burn quickly!) 
• Prepare your veggies a day ahead for even quicker cook time. 

• Add garlic at anytime. 

Directions:

step one. Prepare your veggies. If you don't have a steamer, you can poach your asparagus by dropping into boiling water for 2-3 minutes and then transferring to an ice bath. For my zucchini and mushrooms, I like to add 2 tbsp of butter to a skillet  on med-high heat and stir occasionally until everything browns a little. Mushrooms LOVE butter so don't be surprised if they soak it all up! Set vegetables aside. 

step two. Bring your broth to a boil.

step three. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until fragrant and translucent. Add the orzo and toast until you see some browning on the grain (this will keep the pasta al dente). stir occasionally. 

step four. Add the wine and cook until absorbed. 

step five. Gradually add your vegetable broth (1 cup at a time), stirring frequently until the liquid is almost absorbed and orzo is tender. Remove from the heat. 

step six. Fold in vegetables, cheese, and cream. Season with salt and pepper, and garnish with Pine Nuts. 

Serving suggestion: 

Served with mixed green salad with pomegranate vinaigrette.

 

Catalina Yoga Retreat Part II

Friday: Lunch

Basil-Mint Pesto Pasta Salad with French Green Beans

This lunch was a great start to the retreat because it's impressive and it was easy to throw together after a long and exhausting 36 hours between all my prep and travel. 

 

    I found this great organic pasta made from farro. Farro is an Italian grain, compatible to barley, that gives the pasta a similar taste and texture similar to whole wheat. The Italians believe that a pasta should mimic the vegetables it's being tossed with, so I found a shape that closely resembled green beans. If you want to use different vegetables, like spinach and cherry tomatoes for instance, than you might want to use a different pasta shape. This is a great recipe to play with. Everything was tossed in a fresh mint and basil pesto, and I topped this dish with a sprinkle of pine nuts, a healthy serving of avocado, and a pinch of micro basil greens. The micro greens were inspired by Heidi Swanson, who adds sprouts to her cold pasta salads. I also use lemon zest because Giada says it makes everything better.

Our campsite. Photo by: Ramin Sharifi

Basil-Mint Pesto Pasta Salad 

with French Green Beans

Ingredients: 

• 1 lb Pasta
• 1/4-1/2 lb Green Beans
• 1 1/2 cup packed fresh mint
• 1 cup packed fresh basil
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• 1/3 cup olive oil (or until you get a texture you prefer)
• 4 tbsp. grated parmesan* cheese
• 1 lemon, juiced (plus a little zest)
• salt
•  pepper

 

Toppings:

Avocado
Micro greens
Pine Nuts

*NOTE: the Catalina retreat was completely vegan so I used a vegan parmesan. I recommend however, if you can tolerate lactose, to use the real stuff from Parma.


step 1.
   Boil your pasta until it is al dente. Immediately drop into an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Then let dry on a cookie sheet. You can toss lightly in oil and store this pasta in the fridge until you're ready to mix and serve.

step 2.
   Blanch the string beans. French beans are thinner than the "american" string beans and I like them better in this dish. You only need to boil them about 3-5 minutes and then transfer them to an ice bath also. This method is known as blanching.

step 3.
   Prepare your pesto. Puree mint, basil, garlic and lemon in food processor. Remove and mix in olive oil and cheese by hand. Salt and pepper to taste.

step 4.
   I finished steps 1 through 3 in San Diego and the last step was just to toss everything together and plate. I gave everyone a few slices of avocado, some pine nuts, and a pinch of micro greens.


...and then I took a nap in my tent until yoga time.