Creamy Italian Orzo Risotto Recipes

Steps:

• In large pot of boiling lightly salted water, cook orzo for about 8 minutes or just until tender but still firm. Drain and rinse under cold water; drain and set aside.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt butter over medium-low heat; cook garlic and onion for 3-4 minutes or until onion is softened.
• Add wine and bring to a simmer; reduce heat to a medium-low and cook gently, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until slightly thickened.
• Add orzo to cream sauce; stirring constantly, bring to a simmer.
• Stir in chives and cheddar and blue cheeses. Season with salt and pepper.
• Sprinkle with pine nuts.

Steps:

• Bring a salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the orzo and cook until tender but still al dente (slightly firm), stirring often, about 8 minutes. Drain, saving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.
• Meanwhile, heat oil in large frying pan over medium heat. Add onion, mushrooms and garlic, and saute until tender, about 2 minutes. Stir in the half and half and peas. Add the orzo and toss to coat. Remove pan from heat. Add parmesan to pasta mixture.
• Stir pasta mixture until the sauce coats the pasta thickly, adding enough reserved cooking liquid to maintain a creamy consistency. Season the orzo with desired amount of salt, and serve hot.
• Chunks of chicken or shrimp could be added if you choose to serve this as a main dish.

Steps:

• Saute the shallot in butter for 5 minutes or until tender. Add the steeped saffron in white wine and evaporate. Add the orzo and saute just enough to coat the pasta kernels.
• Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil and cook until the pasta has absorbed the broth, and is tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the shrimp, cover and steep just long enough for the shrimp to gently warm through. Season to taste with salt and crushed red pepper; garnish with parsley.

Steps:

• Bring a heavy large saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the orzo and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.
• Meanwhile, heat the oil in a heavy large frying pan over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic, and saute until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook until they are tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in the cream and peas. Add the orzo and toss to coat. Remove the skillet from the heat. Add the Parmesan to the pasta mixture and toss to coat. Stir the pasta mixture until the sauce coats the pasta thickly, adding enough reserved cooking liquid to maintain a creamy consistency. Season the orzo with salt and pepper, and serve.

Steps:

• Heat a Dutch oven or large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat until hot, about 3 minutes. Add the pancetta and cook until the fat starts to render out, about 1 minute. Add the onion and thyme and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the orzo and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly toasted and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add 2 1/2 cups water and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the milk and 3/4 teaspoon salt, stir to combine, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered, stirring often and making sure to scrape the bottom and corners of the pan with the wooden spoon, until almost all of the liquid is absorbed and the orzo is tender, about 10 minutes. (Depending on the brand of orzo, you may need more liquid, so add more water, 2 tablespoons at a time, if all of the liquid is absorbed but the orzo is not tender yet; you want the final mixture to be creamy, but not clumpy and gluey.) Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the parsley and Parmesan. Taste and season with more salt as needed. Serve immediately. Recipe Notes • Pancetta substitution: Pancetta is an unsmoked Italian bacon. If you can't find it, use regular smoked bacon instead. • Reheating leftovers: When reheating leftovers, add a tablespoon of water or milk to loosen the mixture up. Calories 498 Fat 17.3 g (26.6%) Saturated 6.9 g (34.3%) Trans 0 g Carbs 64.8 g (21.6%) Fiber 2.9 g (11.5%) Sugars 7.7 g Protein 19.4 g (38.9%) Cholesterol 32.7 mg (10.9%) Sodium 773.9 mg (32.2%)

Steps:

• Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic. Sauté until shallots are tender, about 5 minutes. Add orzo; sauté 5 minutes. Mix in 6 cups boiling water and salt. Simmer uncovered until orzo is tender, liquid is absorbed, and risotto is creamy, stirring often, about 18 minutes. Remove from heat. Mix in thyme and peel, then parsley.