This pasta doesn’t get much attention:
ORZO
In Italian it means “Barley” because it looks like a barley seed, but it’s actually pasta.
It’s traditionally used in soups or as a substitute for rice.
This recipe is originally from Gordon Ramsay, who is probably one of the most famous chefs in the world.
He’s the host of Kitchen Nightmares (a favorite of mine when I want a quick, fun escape) Masterchef, Masterchef Jr, Hell’s Kitchen and pretty much anything culinary-related on FOX.
He serves it as a side dish with roasted meats and a big salad.
It was fun to introduce to 1,300 kids this Fall session.
Yes, we taught that many students! Very excited to see hear about all the success stories like:
“(My daughter) loves the cooking class and the recipes she’s been making are so great. I feel much more confident letting her take the lead making things in the kitchen now that she’s gotten some education, and she’s more motivated when it comes to helping! We’re very happy that she’s doing it!!” – Jennifer, parent
I LOVE getting those testimonials. 🙂
Anyway, here’s the video tutorial + recipe:
=> Watch my video tutorial of Gordon Ramsay’s Orzo Pasta Salad
Active Time: 15 min – Start to Finish: 40 min – Serves: 12
Ingredients
4 cups orzo pasta
1 bunch basil, chopped
2 cups arugula, chopped
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 green zucchini, chopped
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
Directions
Fill a large pot with water, bring to a boil, add 2 tsp salt, add Orzo and cook until “al dente” tender about 8-10 minutes. Drain pasta, then run under cold water for 10 seconds to stop the cooking process.
Drizzle with 1 Tbs olive oil In a large bowl add the Parmesan, zest and juice of 1 lemon, 4 Tbs olive oil, 1 tsp salt, pinch of pepper and mix. Add the orzo, bell pepper, zucchini, basil, arugula and mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve warm, or chill and enjoy at room temperature.
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Up next I’m prepping the Winter video tutorials (they’ll be on youtube).
Have a good Monday!
Best,
Chef Eric
