Orzo Pestonade Recipes

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook orzo in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain.
• Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir garlic in melted butter until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir orzo into garlic mixture and mix in Parmesan cheese, milk, parsley, salt, and black pepper.

Steps:

• Cook orzo al dente according package directions, 7-8 minutes then drain thoroughly. Transfer orzo to a large pasta serving bowl, add some extra virgin olive oil to keep from sticking and set aside.
• Toast pine nuts in toaster oven or in dry pan on stovetop 3-5 minutes, watching carefully not to burn.
• Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine kalamata olives, sun-dried tomatoes, toasted pine nuts, garlic cloves, fresh basil, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Stream in olive oil while intermittently pulsing, being careful to keep a paste consistency, not a liquid consistency.
• Into a large pasta serving bowl, add finished pestonade mixture to cooked orzo. Add fresh baby spinach leaves and combine well.
• Garnish with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and flat leaf parsley.

Steps:

• Put the pancetta in a large, deep frying pan over a medium-high heat and fry until crisp and golden. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate and set aside. Reduce the heat, add the onion along with a pinch of salt and fry in any leftover fat for 5 mins. Add the garlic and continue to fry for a further 3 mins.
• Increase the heat and stir in the orzo. Fry for 2 mins, stirring constantly, then pour in 500ml stock and bring to a simmer. Add more stock by the ladleful, stirring constantly, as the orzo absorbs the liquid (similar to cooking a risotto).
• After 5 mins, stir in the petit pois and bring the mixture to a simmer. Continue to add the remaining stock, stirring, as the mixture cooks. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until the orzo is cooked through. Add the lemon zest and juice, basil, parmesan and fried pancetta. Season to taste, then cover and leave to rest for 2 mins. Serve with extra parmesan sprinkled over the top.