A couple of weeks ago, I sang the praises of gnocchi as a brilliant option for speedy weeknight suppers. And, since most of us are always on the lookout for quick and easy midweek meal ideas, I thought it only right to follow up with a recipe featuring orzo – another fast-cook favourite that seems to be very popular right now.
Orzo, also known as risoni in Italyis small, rice-shaped pasta made from durum wheat. Nutritionally, it is much the same as any other wheat pasta, but what makes it so appealing, beyond taking only 6-7 minutes to cook, is that it is incredibly versatile. You can boil it like regular pasta, cook it risotto-style (in about half the time of arborio rice) or throw it into soups where it soaks up the flavour of the broth as it cooks.
It also works beautifully in a chicken and vegetable traybake: add it halfway through cooking along with some extra liquid (water or stock, roughly 1.5 times the amount of orzo), then bake for around 20 minutes until tender. My current favourite combination is chicken thighs with orzo, artichoke hearts, green olives, garlic and lemon. Any leftover orzo makes an excellent pasta salad, if you are thinking about lunchbox options.
This week’s recipe pairs orzo with a carbonara sauce, which while not exactly traditional, works surprisingly well.
170g diced, unsmoked pancetta, £2.15; 300g orzo, 69p
70g finely grated parmesan, plus more to serve, £2.99; 2 large eggs, £1.55
METHOD
Place a large frying or sauté pan over a medium-high heat. Fry the pancetta (no oil needed) for 7-8 minutes, stirring regularly until golden.
Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Cook the orzo according to pack instructions.
In a mixing bowl, use a fork to lightly beat the two eggs. Then mix in the parmesan and a good grind of black pepper.
Before draining the orzo, scoop out a mugful of the cooking water. Whisk 6 tbsp of this cooking water into the egg and parmesan mixture.
Turn the heat under the pancetta to low and stir in the orzo. Then take the pan off the heat.
Quickly add the egg and parmesan mixture, stirring constantly until the pasta is evenly coated in a silky sauce. Serve with Na mixed green salad, if you like.
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THE CANNY COOK: Orzo carbonara
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Author: uaetodaynews
Published on: 2025-11-01 09:27:00
Source: uaetodaynews.com