Asparagus Risotto is one of my favourite spring meals but risotto takes a bit of time and effort to make so when I came across the idea of a creamy orzo with asparagus and peas, on Skinny Taste, I just had to try it. Risotto is a super creamy rice dish where you cook the rice while constantly stirring for almost an hour, where the stirring helps make the rice nice and creamy, and this dish uses orzo pasta which cooks in less than 10 minutes! The base of this meal is orzo with leeks, green onion, and garlic, that’s cooked in broth before adding butter and parmesan to make it creamy along with a splash of lemon juice for brightness! The orzo is topped with a mixture of asparagus, peas, green onions and fresh herbs (such as mint, or basil, or dill, or parsley or oregano). I like to serve the veggies on top but you could easily cook them in the pan with the orzo and mix everything together. This creamy orzo with asparagus and peas only takes about 30 minutes to make and it’s a perfect meal option to enjoy some fresh spring produce!
Creamy Orzo with Asparagus and Peas
A quick and easy meal with creamy orzo and fresh vegetables!
ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 leeks, thinly sliced
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced and divided (lights and greens)
- 2 garlic cloves, grated/minced
- 12 ounces orzo pasta (gluten-free for gluten-free)
- 3 cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 pound asparagus, trimmed and sliced
- 1 cup peas (fresh or frozen)
- 2 tablespoons butter (optional)
- 1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano (parmesan), grated (or 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast)
- 1 lemon (zest and juice)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon mint, chopped (or basil, or parsley, or dill, or oregano, etc.)
directions
- Start bringing a pot of water to a boil.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat, add the leeks and the whites of the green onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about a minute.
- Add the orzo, mix, add the broth and oregano, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the orzo is tender, about 8 minutes.
- Meanwhile, add the asparagus and peas to the boiling water and cook until tender, drain and set aside.
- Add the butter and parmesan to the orzo and let them melt.
- Add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Mix the asparagus, peas, the greens of the green onions, and mint, and serve on top of the creamy orzo.
Option: Add baby spinach!
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