Still more Rocket Science!

Orzotto – it's risotto but not as you know it!

If you love the thought of a risotto during the week but want a short cut here it is – Orzotto. This is another popular recipe from the back catalogue and a very useful, economical mid- week supper dish.

If you've not come across orzo before let me enlighten you, orzo is a pasta and it looks exactly like rice. If you're a lover of risotto but haven't the time or the inclination to make it when you come home from a hard day at work, orzotto is the answer. Some of us aren't that keen on rice and prefer pasta so that's another box ticked!

Orzotto

Serves 4

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped finely

260g orzo pasta

425ml chicken stock (or vegetable)

75ml dry white wine

2 tbsps lemon juice

200g frozen petit pois

2 tbsp fresh pesto

bunch of flat leaf parsley, chopped

75g parmesan cheese, grated

black pepper

extra grated parmesan to serve

Heat the oil in a large frying pan on a medium heat and fry the onion for 2/3 minutes. Add the dry white wine and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the orzo and cook for 1-2 minutes then add the stock all at once. Simmer and stir occasionally for 7/8 minutes until nearly cooked. Stir in the lemon juice and the frozen peas. Simmer for a minute and then add the Parmesan cheese and continue to simmer for a further 2 minutes until the peas are cooked then add the pesto and the parsley.

Season to taste with black pepper and serve extra grated Parmesan on the side.

If you want to omit the wine increase the stock to 500ml.

You could add 80g of diced chorizo or cubed pancetta with the onion at the beginning of the recipe for meat eaters.

You could sprinkle with bacon bits and parmesan – if you serve the bacon bits in a separate bowl then everyone can help themselves - you can serve vegetarians and meat eaters too.

Some hints and tips for the Orzotto ...

Everyone knows I'm an advocate of prepping ahead - I'm always harping on about making the most of your time and if you're in the kitchen anyway try multi tasking – get organised and set your tray of ingredients ready for your Orzotto the following evening.

Fast forward to arriving home the next day. If you're planning on serving garlic bread with your Orzotto then turn on the oven as you're passing. By the time you've taken off your coat and placed your frying pan on the hob the oven will have reached temperature ready for the ten minutes it takes to bake the bread. If you don't want garlic bread try part baked sourdough – it takes the same amount of time.

Alternatively you could turn on your oven to pre-heat. Make your Orzotto base – turn it off. Hit the shower and change into slobs. All that remains for the ten minutes that your bread will take to bake is to finish off your Orzotto with whatever you're adding and don't forget to warm the bowls.

You may have noticed that pre-packaged recipe boxes are fashionable right now, which works for some. For others it can turn out to be a false economy if some ingredients spoil and need replacing or someone uses a key ingredient for a snack! One of the main draws with these boxes seems to be that they take the stress of of “what do I cook for supper?” just read and follow. Why not clear a shelf in the fridge, weigh out and bag the Orzotto ingredients when you've got a few minutes. By my calculations it's then 15 minutes to cook when you get in from work. What's not to love and it's definitely cheaper!

If you prefer a veggie option Orzotto is perfect for using Quorn pieces – they only take 9 minutes or 12 minutes if cooking from frozen – so veggie or not, the choice is yours.

If your budget runs to it you could add 250g of defrosted prawns.

I'm always droning on about slow cooking a whole chicken – slow cooking and freezing in small portions as required - breasts, legs, wings etc., and the stock too – in my opinion it's a win win!

How difficult is it to pull a chicken breast (or two) out of the freezer mid week?

Here's the proof!

Sit down and enjoy – not too much washing up either.