Cooking Lesson #347: Joan’s Orzo al Limone

…from the California Kitchen

How you doin’? The things you learn about people. Joan and I have been business partners for over 30 years and I never knew she was so “hot” for Orzo--anything with Orzo.
 
When you think of pasta you usually think of it  as a culturally Italian food—it isn’t! It is a close relative to ancient Asian noodles. The more common belief about pasta is that it was brought to Italy from China by Marco Polo during the 13th century. How did the ancient Romans survive without spaghetti? The truth is that noodles predated Marco's trip to China.
 
One might suggest that Pasta al Limone is a classic, simple, comfort pasta dish made with lemon juice, butter and Parmesan cheese. Joan’s recipe gets a fresh look substituting orzo instead of the spaghetti, resulting in a dish that’s somewhere between a risotto and macaroni and cheese. Orzo cooks very quickly so you must be careful not to overcook it. You want to cook it just below al dente so that it doesn’t turn into a big pot of goo.
 
Prep time:  10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Yield:  4 servings
 
Ingredients
1 lemon (for zest and juice)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 cup orzo
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups water (or chicken stock)
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about), plus more for serving
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
 
Directions

1. Using a microplane, grate the lemon zest. Set the zested lemon aside.
2. In a large Dutch oven or saucepan, heat 3 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat until melted and foamy.
3. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until softened but not yet browned; 5 to 7 minutes.
4. Add the orzo, 2 teaspoons lemon zest, black pepper; toast the mixture, stirring for 2 minutes.
5. Stir in 3 cups of water (or chicken stock) and salt and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
6. Once the water comes to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally so the orzo doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot, until most of the water has been absorbed 6 to 8 minutes. There should still be some liquid at the bottom of the pot. Taste the orzo; it should be a silky al dente, not crunchy.
7. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in 2 tablespoons of the butter and the grated Parmesan cheese.
8. Add in the remaining lemon zest and the juice of the zested lemon.
9. Taste and add more salt if needed.
10. You may have to add a few more tablespoons of water until the orzo is very creamy.
11. When serving, drizzle the orzo with a little olive oil, finish with dash of black pepper and top with a little more grated Parmesan cheese.

ChefSecret:  A microplane is a home chef’s essential tool. They are available on Amazon for about $10.
Quip of the Day:  “People will give all kinds of advice on how to live to 100. You may be able to live to be a hundred if you give up all those things that make you want to live to be a hundred.”
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