Creamy like risotto, but a fraction of the price, this easy orzo dish is on the table in under thirty minutes.
Course:
Main Course
Keyword:
Bacon, One pot, Orzo, Pasta
Author: Claire Thomas, She-Eats.com
Ingredients
200gorzo pasta
500mlvegetable stock
4garlic cloves – grated / minced or very finely chopped
1leek – thinly sliced
1onion – finely chopped
200gmushrooms
100gbacon – choppedor bacon lardons
60gGermanto piquant cheese cubes, or other Gouda cheese – torn into pieces
Butteroptional
Olive / rapeseed oil
Salt and pepper
Instructions
Get yourself a saute pan or large frying pan, prep the veg and make the stock. It doesn’t take long to cook so have everything to hand.
Heat the pan over a medium heat with a good slosh of oil. Add the onion, leek and a sprinkle of salt and cook for 3-5 minutes until it is nice and soft.
Add the bacon bits and cook for two minutes.
Add the mushrooms and garlic and stir through for another minute.
Add the orzo, and stir to cover with the bacon / onion mix.
Add approx. ½ of the stock, and a good grind of black pepper and stir well.
Add the remaining stock. Bring up to a rolling simmer and then turn the heat down to low.
Stir regularly until cooked. This takes around 10 minutes but will always vary so start to test around 7 minutes. If your pasta is particularly thirsty, don’t be afraid to add a little more stock, or water, if it looks to be drying out or sticking. Keep stirring.
Once the pasta is cooked al dente, taste and season as required. Turn off the heat. If you would like the full risotto creaminess, add a small knob of butter (around 1 tbsp), leave for one minute and then stir in.
Stir through the cheese, pop a lid on and leave for two minutes. Remove the lid, stir and serve.
Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
A few notes:
We love garlic! So of course do use less if you wish
Germanto is a Gouda cheese, so use any similar if you can't get any
This makes two hearty portions, but will feed three easily if served with some broccoli or peas