Creamy Orzo pasta side dish


Creamy Orzo
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis
Show: Everyday Italian


1 pound orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, juices drained (I chopped up two fresh tomato's)
1 1/4 cups whipping cream
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
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.

I actually made half of this recipe since it is just the two of us and even half of the recipe was enough for dinner and left overs! This was a tasty recipe, but I would probably add a bit more salt. I paired the side dish with roasted pork loin, but I bet this would be just as good with chicken!! Or you could omit the meat and add more veggies and turn it into a main dish!