Friday, October 7, 2011

Lemon-Artichoke Orzotto

This is one of my favorite "go to" recipes. It's easy, fast and really delicious! And it is one of Mitch's favorites, he loves the texture of orzo! It is one of those recipes that you can pretty much substitute whatever you have in your kitchen and it will still turn out beautifully! I love it with mushrooms, roasted fennel, squash, pretty much anything! The way you cook it is risotto style, but orzo isn't as temperamental, and I actually prefer the mild pasta flavor as opposed to the rice. So, you get the same depth of flavor cooked into the pasta, but in a much easier, fail-proof way! This recipe is adapted from a Kelsey Nixon recipe and I just love it!


Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup diced onion
1 or 2 cloves of garlic
1 1/2 cups orzo
3 cups vegetable broth (made from knorr vegetable bullion)
1 can artichoke hearts, chopped
a handful of chopped sundried tomatoes
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 Tbsp butter
Juice of 1 lemon
A couple Tablespoons of Heavy Cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
In a pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, add garlic. Add the orzo and toast for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomatoes and sauté for a few minutes. Gradually add the vegetable broth and cook until absorbed.
Bring to a simmer, lower the heat, and cover. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until the liquid is almost absorbed and orzo is tender. Remove from the heat.
Stir Parmesan, fresh basil, lemon zest, butter, and lemon juice. Season the orzo with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve. Enjoy!

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