RECIPE: For 30-minute risotto, reach for orzo pasta
Risotto is one of those quick-ish dishes that you’d think would work for a 5:30 Challenge recipe. After all, there are plenty of recipes circulating on the internet that promise a good risotto in 30 minutes.
In reality, it’s close to impossible to pull off. The rice can take almost 30 minutes to turn tender, and that doesn’t allow any time to saute aromatics or to cook anything other than rice. To me, that’s not a complete recipe.
If you stretch the meaning of “risotto” a bit to include alternative starches, like orzo pasta, it becomes possible. Orzo will cook in about 10 minutes using the traditional risotto cooking method: lightly toast in butter; gradually ladle in a warm, flavorful cooking liquid while stirring; and finish with some kind of fat and cheese. The only downside to cooking orzo this way is that you cannot take any shortcuts when it comes to stirring; unlike rice, it will mercilessly stick to the pan, so you’ll need to keep a close watch and an even closer rubber spatula as you cook.
For this vegetarian “orzotto,” I’ve added sauteed kale, butter-toasted walnuts and goat cheese. You could substitute your preferred greens and nuts, but I recommend keeping the goat cheese. Not only does it add bold flavor to the finished dish, but it also does double duty as a creamy fat that emulsifies with the starchy cooking liquid to form a luxurious sauce.
Kale and Goat Cheese Orzotto
- 6 cups water
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 1 pound dried orzo
- 1 bunch curly kale, leaves stripped and finely chopped
- 1 lemon
- 2 ounces goat cheese
- Combine the water with the salt in a medium saucepan. Place over medium heat until the water just starts to steam, then reduce the heat to low to keep warm.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large, high-sided skillet over medium heat. Add the walnuts and cook, stirring, until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Add the orzo to the fat remaining in the skillet and cook, stirring with a rubber spatula, until the orzo begins to toast, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the kale and a couple tablespoons of the warm water. Stir until the kale starts to wilt, about 2 minutes. Ladle in enough warm water to cover the orzo (1/2 cup to 1 cup water, depending on the size of the skillet) and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring, until the liquid has been absorbed. Continue to add water in batches (1/2 cup to 1 cup at a time) while stirring until the pasta is cooked, about 10 minutes. You may not use all of the water.
- Remove from the heat and zest the lemon over the pasta. Slice the lemon in half and squeeze the juice over the pasta. Stir in the goat cheese until melted, then season to taste with salt, if desired. Top with the toasted walnuts and serve.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving, based on 4: 608 calories (percent of calories from fat, 31), 20 grams protein, 87 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams total sugars, 7 grams fiber, 22 grams total fat (7 grams saturated), 26 milligrams cholesterol, 227 milligrams sodium.Sign up for the AJC Food and Dining Newsletter
Read more stories like this by liking Atlanta Restaurant Scene on Facebook, following @ATLDiningNews on Twitter and @ajcdining on Instagram.
