Orzo Pestonade Recipes

30 BEST WAYS TO COOK ORZO

Steps:

• Select your favorite recipe.
• Organize all the required ingredients.
• Prep an orzo dish in 30 minutes or less!

SIMPLE ORZO SALAD WITH BLACK OLIVES AND FETA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add orzo and boil until al dente, or just tender, according to package directions. Drain; rinse the pasta briefly with fresh water. Toss the still-warm pasta with all the other ingredients and season with salt and pepper. Taste, and add more lemon juice or seasonings, if needed.

ORZO & PORTABELLA CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Combine the tomatoes and boiling water in a small bowl; cover and let stand 10 minutes or until tomatoes soften, drain.
• Heat olive oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat.
• Add the tomatoes, leek, mushrooms, and garlic; saute 2 minutes.
• Combine the mushroom mixture, orzo, and next 6 ingredients (orzo through pepper) in a large bowl; stir well.
• Spoon mixture into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.
• Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees for 25 minutes.
• Sprinkle provolone and parmesan cheeses over casserole, and bake an additional 5 minutes; garnish with basil sprigs, if desired.

SESAME ORZO WITH CHARRED ONIONS

Steps:

• In a dry skillet toast sesame seeds until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Transfer to bowl.
• Boil orzo in boiling, salted water until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water. Add to sesame seeds.
• Slice scallions on diagonal into 1 inch pieces.
• Heat oil in non-stick skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking and saute scallions, stirring occasionally, until lightly charred and tender, about 3 to 4 minutes.
• Stir scallion mixture into orzo and season to taste with salt and pepper.

LEMONY CHICKEN & ORZO

Steps:

• Cut chicken into 1-inch cubes.
• Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper.
• Pour broth and lemon juice into a Dutch oven; bring to boil and add chicken.
• Cover and reduce heat to medium.
• Cook for 9 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
• Remove chicken from pot; set aside.
• Increase heat to high and cook sauce for 5 minutes.
• Stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper; whisk in honey and sour cream.
• Add 2 cups water to pot and bring to a boil; add orzo and cook for 10 minutes or until pasta is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Add green beans to pot for final 4 minutes of cook time.
• Stir chicken back into pot and serve.

ORZO WITH SPINACH AND RED PEPPER

Steps:

• Prepare orzo according to package directions; drain and set aside.
• Spray large nonstick skillet with cooking spray.
• Heat skillet over medium-high heat until hot; add oil, tilting skillet to coat bottom.
• Add bell pepper and garlic; cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes or until bell pepper is crisp-tender.
• Add orzo and spinach; stir until well mixed and heated through.
• Remove from heat; stir in Parmesan cheese, oregano, if desired, and lemon pepper.
• Garnish as desired.

ORZO PESTONADE

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.