Pesto Orzo is a fast and straightforward meatless dinner that doubles as a aspect dish that may be served alongside together with your favourite grilled meats and seafood. This colourful summertime recipe takes solely half-hour and requires one pan – excellent for busy household weeknights. Make basil pesto from scratch or use a store-bought variety. This crowd-pleasing pasta dish is nice for sharing at picnics, potlucks, and barbecue events.
Pesto orzo – meatless dinner or aspect dish
This recipe is a fast and straightforward mixture of orzo pasta, cherry tomatoes, Mozzarella cheese, pine nuts, recent basil, and naturally, basil pesto. You’ll be able to make basil pesto from scratch or use a store-bought variety. Pesto orzo is full of taste and might be made final minute – it is that straightforward! It is versatile and simply adaptable to no matter components you could have out there. Quite a lot of veggies and cheeses can be utilized right here. You’ll be able to even add your favourite protein, similar to cooked rotisserie rooster, pan-seared shrimp, baked salmon, or your favourite grilled meats.
Why you may adore it
- 30-minute, one-pan weeknight pasta dish. Pesto orzo is my go-to recipe for a fast dinner. It requires easy components, takes beneath half-hour to make, and also you want just one pan! The cleanup is minimal. Retailer-bought basil pesto works nice right here!
- Nice for leftovers. This pasta dish reheats effectively and makes an amazing lunch the subsequent day!
- Versatile recipe. Use your favourite veggies. I really like cherry tomatoes with pesto orzo, however you can too add roasted bell peppers, asparagus, spinach, mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, or artichokes.
- Crowd-pleasing aspect dish. Pesto orzo is a must have in your summer season recipe repertoire. It may be made upfront, it retains effectively refrigerated and might be served at room temperature. Convey it to picnics, potlucks, barbecue events, and different festivities. It grew to become a staple for my household’s summer season gatherings!
What’s Orzo?
Orzo is a short-cut pasta resembling long-grain rice in form. It’s made out of flour, like regular pasta. Typically, orzo is made with semolina (durum wheat used for making pasta).
How one can cook dinner the orzo?
Normally, the orzo is cooked in 1:2 proportion to water, for instance, 1 cup of orzo in 2 cups of water, or 1.5 cups of orzo in 3 cups of water. Cook dinner based on bundle directions, which normally means 10 minutes. You might need so as to add a small quantity of liquid about 5 minutes into the cooking if the orzo is simply too dry, to ensure it does not follow the underside of the skillet. You need to use water, rooster inventory, beef inventory, or vegetable broth to cook dinner orzo.
Pesto Orzo (One-Pan, 30-Minute Meal)
Pesto Orzo is a fast and straightforward meatless dinner that doubles as a aspect dish that may be served alongside together with your favourite grilled meats and seafood. This colourful summertime recipe takes solely half-hour and requires one pan – excellent for busy household weeknights. Make basil pesto from scratch or use a store-bought variety. This crowd-pleasing dish is nice for sharing at picnics, potlucks, and barbecue events.
Elements
- 1.5 cups orzo
- 3 cups water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 10 oz cherry tomatoes (crimson and yellow), sliced in half
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon crimson pepper flakes
- ½ lemon
- ¼ cup basil pesto
- 5 oz recent Mozzarella cheese “pearls” – small balls
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- recent basil leaves
- salt and pepper
Directions
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In a big, high-sided skillet, mix orzo and water. Convey to a quick boil, cut back to a visual simmer, and cook dinner, coated, for about 10 minutes (based on bundle directions). Examine the orzo 5 minutes into the cooking, and stir it to forestall it from sticking to the underside of the pan. Orzo is cooked when all of the water is absorbed and the orzo has a pleasant smooth texture of cooked pasta. You might need so as to add extra water on the finish if the orzo is undercooked or the water evaporates too quick.
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Take away cooked orzo to a big bowl.
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To the identical, now empty, skillet add olive oil, minced garlic, half of the cherry tomatoes (saving the opposite half of tomatoes for later), crimson chili flakes, dried oregano, and salt and pepper to style. Cook dinner on medium warmth, stirring, for 4 minutes, till the tomatoes launch juices and garlic is softened.
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Add cooked orzo, juice squeezed from half a lemon, the remaining cherry tomatoes, and most of basil pesto. Stir every part effectively collectively.
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Coat Mozzarella “pearls” with the remaining basil pesto in a separate bowl (you should utilize the identical bowl the place you saved cooked orzo). Add them to the orzo, stirring some in, and putting others over the pasta.
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Season with salt and crimson pepper flakes.
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Prime with pine nuts and recent basil leaves.
Diet
Diet Data
Pesto Orzo (One-Pan, 30-Minute Meal)
Quantity per Serving
% Every day Worth*
* % Every day Values are primarily based on a 2000 calorie food regimen.
Diet Disclaimer:
The dietary info on this web site is just an estimate and is offered for comfort and as a courtesy solely. The accuracy of the dietary info for any recipe on this web site just isn't assured. It shouldn't be used as an alternative to an expert nutritionist’s recommendation.
What goes effectively with pesto orzo?
Add your favourite protein to show this pasta dish right into a well-balanced, full meal. Straightforward concepts are leftover cooked rooster, rotisserie rooster, grilled meats, shrimp, salmon, or scallops. Listed below are my favourite protein-based recipes that pair effectively with pesto orzo:
Different orzo recipes you may take pleasure in
Substitutions, variations, and add-ins
- Pasta. You can also make this recipe with every other form of short-cut pasta, similar to bow-tie (farfalle), spiral pasta (fusilli), penne, or rigatoni.
- Rice is a superb (and gluten-free!) substitute for orzo. In any case, orzo is formed very equally to rice!
- Basil pesto. I really like making basil pesto from scratch, however the store-bought variety works simply wonderful on this recipe! I favor pesto bought within the refrigerated sections of grocery shops.
- Veggies. The great thing about pesto orzo is that it pairs effectively with most greens. Select your favorites or no matter you could have out there! I like to recommend tomatoes, bell peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, broccoli, asparagus, sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes, spinach, and arugula.
- Cheese. I used Mozzarella "pearls" (small balls of recent Mozzarella cheese). You may as well use cubed or grated Parmesan, Asiago, or Feta.
- Nuts are optionally available however add a lot to pesto orzo. My favorites are pine nuts and pistachios.
- Add protein. Leftover cooked rooster, rotisserie rooster, grilled meats, and seafood will add a lift of protein to this pasta dish.
- Add cream - it is going to add lusciousness and richness.
Storage Suggestions
- Fridge. Preserve pesto orzo refrigerated in an hermetic container for as much as 4 days!
- Freezer. You'll be able to freeze it for as much as 2 months.
How one can reheat
- Range-top. Reheat over low-medium warmth in any form of appropriately sized cooking pan. Add a small quantity of olive oil when reheating, and stir typically. You may as well add extra basil pesto as an alternative of olive oil when reheating.
- Microwave oven. Reheat pesto orzo in a deep, high-sided microwave-safe dish (bowl) for about 30 seconds. Take away from the microwave oven, stir every part effectively. Return to the oven and reheat for 30 extra seconds or extra, till heated via. Add a contact of recent basil pesto for extra taste.
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