Creamy orzo with Parmesan, zucchini, shrimp tomato and pesto is perfect for an easy weeknight. It is a one-pan dinner (so nice and little washing up) with a lot of taste. An easy and quick recipe.
Do you like rice and pasta? Then Orzo is really something for you! It is a dry pasta in the form of rice. It is often compared to risotto. The Italians often use it in soups, the Greeks in pilaf and it is also used in stews in Arab cuisine.
Here in the Netherlands it is not really known yet, but that could of course change soon. Let me give you this easy recipe full of fresh flavors, a delicious one-pan meal (and therefore one of those dinner recipes that is ideal for a busy weekday)
Ingredients Orzo with Pesto, shrimp and zucchini
A full list of ingredients can be found at the end of this blog. (Stupid stupid, I forgot to put the pesto and tomatoes in the picture. I'm going to put a redo of this picture on my to-do list ;-))
- Orzo - A dried pasta in the shape of rice. It is also called Riso or Kritharaki. Cook it al dente for this recipe.
- White wine - Use dry white wine such as Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio.
- Shrimp - You can use pre-cooked shrimp in this recipe. Because it is cooked in moisture, they don’t dry out. You can replace shrimps with chicken cubes (poach them in chicken stock first) or mushrooms (this will give you a vegetarian recipe)
- String beans - String beans are in season from July to October (and therefore with the best flavor in these months). But these days you can get them all year round. You can also replace the string beans with green beans that you cut into 1 cm pieces.
- Pesto - Use a creamy green basil pesto. The pesto gives a lot of flavor to this recipe so you want to use a good one here. Make a homemade pesto by combining the following pesto ingredients: fresh basil leaves, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, garlic, sea salt, and extra-virgin olive oil. Blend until you get a pesto sauce. If you don't like basil, you could also use spinach (that will give you a spinach pesto)
- Parmesan cheese - Melts through the orzo and gives it a wonderful taste. You could also use Grano Padano
How do you make this one-pot Orzo with Pesto and Zucchini?
A recipe that you can easily print can be found at the bottom of the blog.
- Place the stock, wine and herbs in a saucepan and bring to the boil.
- Add the orzo, string beans, diced tomatoes, and zucchini to the pan and bring to the boil again.
- Simmer for 4 minutes and then add the shrimp.
- Cook for a couple of minutes and turn off the heat.
- Toss the pesto through this dish, so that everything gets a delicious pesto layer.
- Add the Parmesan cheese and sun-dried tomatoes and serve. (Also delicious: add some black pepper, lemon zest and a drizzle of olive oil at taste. Roast some pine nuts and spread them on top.)
Other Delicious Recipes
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Pesto Orzo with Parmesan, zucchini and shrimp (one-pot dinner)
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Creamy orzo with Parmesan, zucchini, shrimp tomato and pesto is perfect for an easy weeknight. It is a one-pan dinner (so nice and little washing up) with a lot of taste. An easy and quick recipe.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1¼ cup vegetable broth
- ¼ cup white wine
- 2 teaspoons thyme
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 2 teaspoons paprika ground
- 3 cups orzo uncooked
- 8 oz. string beans
- 1 zucchini sliced in cubes (about ½ x ½ inch; 1 x 1 cm)
- 10 grape tomatoes quartered
- 8 oz. shrimp
- 2 tablespoons green pesto your own pesto, homemade is great
- 3 oz. Parmesan cheese
- 5 sun-dried tomatoes cut in strips
- ½ tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Place the stock, wine, thyme, oregano, and paprika in a saucepan and bring to a boil on high heat.1¼ cup vegetable broth, ¼ cup white wine, 2 teaspoons thyme, 1 teaspoon oregano, 2 teaspoons paprika
- Add the orzo, string beans, zucchini, and tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes.3 cups orzo, 8 oz. string beans, 1 zucchini, 10 grape tomatoes
- Add the prawns and cook for 3 minutes.8 oz. shrimp
- Turn off the heat and stir the pesto into the orzo.2 tablespoons green pesto
- Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and sun-dried tomatoes and give it a stir. Season with lemon juice.3 oz. Parmesan cheese, 5 sun-dried tomatoes, ½ tablespoon lemon juice
- Serve immediately.
Notes
1. Orzo -
Dried pasta in the shape of rice. It is also called Riso or Kritharaki.
2. White wine -
Use dry white wine such as Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio.
3. Shrimp -
You can use pre-cooked shrimp in this recipe. Because it is cooked in moisture, they don’t dry out. You can replace shrimps with chicken cubes (poach them in chicken stock first) or mushrooms (this will give you a vegetarian recipe)
4. String beans -
String beans are in season from July to October (and therefore with the best flavor in these months). But these days you can get them all year round. You can also replace the string beans with green beans that you cut into 1 cm pieces.
5. Pesto -
Use a creamy green basil pesto. The pesto gives a lot of flavor to this recipe so you want to use a good one here. Make a homemade pesto by combining 1 oz. basil leaves, 1 oz. pine nuts, 2 oz. Parmesan cheese, 1 clove garlic, and ¼ cup of olive oil. Blend until you get a pesto sauce.
6. Parmesan cheese -
Melts through the orzo and gives it a wonderful taste. You could also use Grano Padano.
7. Also delicious -
add some olive oil, black pepper, lemon zest, and a drizzle of olive oil at the taste. Roast some pine nuts and spread them on top.
8. Storage -
- Refrigerator - Cool the orzo to room temperature and store it covered in airtight containers. This will stay good for up to 2 days. Reheat slowly on medium heat while stirring. You could also eat it as a pesto orzo salad.
- Freezing - Cool and pack in an airtight freezer box or bag. The Orzo will stay good in the freezer for up to 1 month. Please note: freezing may change the structure of the Orzo slightly. Thaw in the refrigerator and reheat slowly on medium heat while stirring.
Nutrition
Calories: 589kcal | Carbohydrates: 96g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 728mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1472IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Iron: 3mg
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