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| Orzo pasta with parmesan and basil is easy to prepare, delicious and goes with just about anything. |
I sometimes lament the disappearance of dinner parties as a way to gather with friends and family. For me they have always nourished the soul as much as the body and are still the best way I know to guarantee a four-hour chat with great friends.
I was recently given a book called “How to Host a Dinner Party” by author Corey Mintz. To be honest I thought it was going to be a dull and fussy how-to manual that would make hosting a dinner party seem a lot like assembling a gas barbeque. I read it on a flight home only because I forgot my novel in my checked luggage.
What a great surprise when the book turned out to be funny and practical. Even better, Mintz has a way of keeping you grounded, and reminds the reader that to host a delightful dinner party you don’t have to be a great cook, you just need to be “a great friend and a better planner.”
We host a lot of dinner parties and it’s still a good lesson, which brings me to this recipe for orzo with parmesan and basil.
This is a dish that appears at a lot of our family gatherings, especially in the summer.
It seems to go with just about anything, is easy to make and is a nice change from standard pasta dishes. It’s the sort of pasta that you serve as a side dish, like you would rice.
In fact, orzo looks a bit like rice which is how it got its name. Serve this with chicken, shrimp or scallops and a salad for an easy dinner party meal.
I have written the recipe as it appears in the book, Aces (the Best of Bridge series), but I do make it a little differently. I use kamut orzo instead of regular orzo (look in the natural food section of the grocery store). I dice a small onion and sauté that in the butter for a minute before adding the orzo. Sometimes I add a clove of garlic with the onion. The recipe is also delicious with a bit of feta added. And before serving I give it a squeeze of lemon juice and a bit of lemon zest. Chives are another tasty addition.
Orzo recipe with parmesan and basil
(From Aces – the Best of Bridge series)
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3 Tbsp butter
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1 ½ cups orzo pasta (I use kamut orzo)
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3 cups stock (chicken or vegetable)
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½ cup grated parmesan
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6 Tbsp chopped fresh basil or 2 Tbsp prepared pesto or 1 ½ tsp dried basil
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Salt & pepper to taste
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Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat.
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Add orzo and sauté 2 min, stirring.
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Add stock and bring to a boil.
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Reduce heat, cover and simmer until pasta is tender and water is absorbed (about 20 minutes.)
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Stir in parmesan and basil and season with salt and pepper
