Toasted Orzo with Peas

Ever have one of those days where you just have no idea what to cook? ME TOO! That's what Monday was like for me. I didn't want to make anything elaborate, after having just done two big baking projects and with another baking project coming up for this Thursday's reading group, I wanted to make a dinner that was going to be simple, fast and create the least amount of cleanup afterwards. I found just the right recipe in an old folder I keep recipe clippings and printouts in.

A while back I printed out a bunch of recipes from various websites and clipped a bunch of recipes from various magazines and stuffed them into a folder with the intention of either one day trying them out, or, at the very least filing them away in an organized manner. I almost never look in the folder, so it was kind of fun to flip through it and see what kinds of things I was hoping to one day try. The recipe for Toasted Orzo with Peas, Onion and Bacon looked good, and simple enough, so dinner became a modified version of that recipe.

a little note: Rather than dry toast the orzo in a nonstick skillet like the recipe asks, I toasted the pasta in a tablespoon of grapeseed oil infused with herbs. Instead of regular bacon I used pancetta but I'm not sure just how much I used. I just diced up a small chunk and threw it in the skillet. I also added a healthy squeeze of fresh lemon at the end of cooking. I love the flavor of lemon on pasta and the lemon juice gave the dish a bright tangy taste that was nice. Honestly, this dish tastes a lot better at room temperature or even as a cold pasta meal. I think the flavors get a chance to merge with the pasta and the overall taste improves if this is made ahead and eaten later on.

Modified from Epicurious

TOASTED ORZO WITH PEAS, ONION AND BACON

• 1 1/2 cups orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
• 1 1/4 cups chopped onion
• 5 bacon slices, chopped
• 3 1/4 cups (or more) canned low-salt chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed

Heat large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add orzo and stir until beginning to color, about 10 minutes. Transfer orzo to small bowl. Add onion and bacon to same skillet. Sauté until bacon browns and onion is tender, about 15 minutes. Add 3 1/4 cups broth and orzo and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until broth is absorbed and orzo is tender, about 18 minutes. Mix in peas. Add more broth if mixture is dry. Cover and cook until peas are just warmed through, about 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve. Makes 6 servings.

Written by Deb on November 4, 2003 12:45 AM