Orzo Risotto AKA Orzo-tto

Orzo-tto

Orzo is a good dummy-proof way to making risotto. Arborio rice is needy like a sick boyfriend and I don't have the patience sometimes to watch and baby it...but good risotto is worth it if you have the time to invest in it. That being said, I'm going to provide a quicker, easier way to make a dish that looks complicated without the effort. This is a good option for meals you need a starch, but busy with the main course or other dishes. But do not turn your attention away completely. I suggest test running this a few times before serving a large crowd. I've lost half of the dish due to it burning and sticking to the pot.

What is great about risotto (orzo or arborio kind) is that it absorbs whatever flavor that you throw at it. with it being Fall, this is a great recipe to keep in your back pocket for Thanksgiving and other winter holidays.

This is one of the recipes where I believe that butter does help in not just the flavor, but to prevent intense sticking to the pot. I do refuse to believe that a stick of butter is necessary to make this recipe.

Orzo-tto
(about 4 servings)

1 cup orzo
1 tablespoon butter
3 cloves garlic
1 large shallot
1/2 yellow onion diced
About 2 cups of Chicken stock or water
Olive oil
1 Carrot peeled and diced into quarter inch cubes
Handful of Broccoli flowerets, with tops chopped off and the stems diced
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Melt butter in the pot, add a few swirls of olive oil in medium-low heat. Add a dash of salt and couple grinds of pepper. Saute the garlic, shallots, and onion at medium heat until translucent. If you like some spice, add a couple swirls of chili oil and/or a few shakes of red pepper flakes. If you want to turn it up more, finely dice some seeded jalapenos.



Toss in orzo and toss to coat. Turn heat down to medium low heat. You will need to watch this as not to burn the orzo. Stir for about 3 minutes. The orzo will look yellowish to tan. Add a cup of stock or water, stir. When the orzo starts to absorb the water and bubble, add another 1/2 cup of water. Toss the remaining veggies. As the liquid absorbs, add another 1/2 cup of water.

Taste the orzo and make sure the the orzo is cooked all the way.
If not, keep adding 1/4 cup liquid until fully cooked. Do not forget to keep stirring. Add the Parmesan in the last step. Add salt only after this step because the cheese will provide a lot of flavor.

To make the dish more in line with Fall and Winter, you can add diced butternut squash with a dash of nutmeg with the veggies or alone to the orzo. Or toss in some chopped up fennel bulb and use the leaves for extra flavor. Add some halved grape tomatoes to add some color. Mix with broccoli or green peas and you have a Christmas themed risotto. Add your choice of meat anything to make it a heartier main course; sausages, prosciutto, chicken strips. In fact, I served the chicken fingers on top of the orzo and drizzled some of the honey mustard and yogurt sauce over the strips and orzo. Toast some pine nuts to mix in for a nuttier flavor. One note, if you want to add spinach, as much as I would prefer fresh, I suggest using frozen for this recipe, since fresh tends to turn a brownish color when it's cooked. It's edible, just some people may be turned off by the color. Have fun!

Salud!
DD, drinking some Chariot red wine