Pesto orzo with melted burrata – there is nothing more comforting than some warm skillets and hot bowls of pasta. And orzo happens to be one of my obsessions. The rice style of pasta almost cooks like risotto and is versatile enough to work well with both cold salads and warm skillets.
Moreover, you can cook the orzo directly in the sauce so it takes up much more flavour.
Another super versatile thing to cook with – pesto! Make a huge batch and keep adding it to eggs, toasts, galettes, pasta, and more.
This is a seemingly easy cook if you have everything in place. You can use freshly made pesto or the one lying in your freezer. But make sure you thaw that before putting it into the skillet.
You can use a walnut pesto for a nuttier version or classic pine nuts for something more creamy. I have also really been digging the basil seed pesto by Sorrentina.
Ingredients for Pesto Burrata Orzo – for 2
- Orzo – 1 cup
- Pesto – find the recipe here – 1/2 cup
- Burrata – 1
- Olive oil – 1 tbsp
- Garlic – 1 tsp, finely chopped
- Onion – 1, medium-sized, chopped
- Chicken stock/ veg stock – 2 cups
- Chilli flakes – 1/2 tsp
- Salt – to taste
- Basil – to garnish
Method
- In a cast iron/ heavy bottom skillet – heat olive oil and add the finely chopped onions.
- Cook until transparent. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the orzo and mix well.
- Season with salt and add the pesto. Mix well.
- Add 1 cup of stock and mix well, let it simmer for 5-8 minutes. Orzo will absorb not just the stock but also some flavors of the pesto. You needn’t keep stirring like in a risotto, and you can stir occasionally.
- Add another 1/2 cup of the stock and stir some more. Cook for another 10 minutes until the orzo is completely cooked. Use the remaining 1/2 cup (and more) if need be!
- Mix in chilli flakes.
- Dish out in a shallow bowl, and top with torn-apart burrata cheese and fresh basil leaves.
ENJOY!
Pesto orzo with melted burrata
Ingredients
- 1 cup Orzo
- ½ cup Pesto
- 1 no Burrata
- 1 tbsp Olive oil extra virgin
- 1 tsp Garlic finely chopped
- 1 no Onion medium sized, finely chopped
- 2 cups Chicken stock
- ½ tsp chilli flakes
- ¾ tsp Salt
- Basil leaves to garnish
Instructions
- In a cast iron/ heavy bottom skillet – heat olive oil and add the finely chopped onions. Cook until transparent. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the orzo and mix well. Season with salt and add the pesto. Mix well.
- Add 1 cup of stock and mix well, let it simmer for 5-8 minutes. Orzo will absorb not just the stock but also some flavors of the pesto. You needn’t keep stirring like in a risotto, and you can stir occasionally.
- Add another 1/2 cup of the stock and stir some more. Cook for another 10 minutes until the orzo is completely cooked. Use the remaining 1/2 cup (and more) if need be!
- Mix in chilli flakes.
- Dish out in a shallow bowl, and top with torn-apart burrata cheese and fresh basil leaves.