Pesto Orzo
This recipe will show you how quick and easy it is to make creamy and comforting Italian Pesto Orzo pasta with chicken and green beans.
Servings: 8 servings
Chef Alli
Ingredients
- 1 Tbs. avocado or olive oil
- 2 Tbs. unsalted butter
- 1/2 medium yellow onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced or crushed
- 1 tsp. dried oregano leaves
- 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 1 cup orzo pasta uncooked
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup basil pesto
- 2 Tbs. chopped sundried tomatoes packed in oil
- 1-2 cups frozen green beans
- 2 cups cooked chopped chicken
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- Parmesan cheese block to make cheese ribbons for garnish
- Italian parsley minced, for garnish, optional
- Slivered almonds for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Add the oil and butter to a deep 12-inch skillet over medium to medium-high heat.
- When the fats are nicely hot, add the diced onions; sauté for 5-6 minutes or until softened.
- Add the orzo, garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes; cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring often, letting the orzo toast in the hot oil and aromatics.
- Stir in the broth, cream, pesto, sundried tomatoes, and green beans. Once the orzo begins to bubble, continue cooking over medium-low heat for 12-15 minutes, uncovered, gently stirring occasionally, or until the orzo is tender but not over cooked.
- Stir in the cooked chicken and Parmesan, letting them warm through for just a minute or so.
- Using a vegetable peeler, run it along the side of the block of Parmesan cheese to make some cheese ribbons.
- To serve the orzo, garnish with a few Parmesan ribbons, Italian parsley, slivered almonds, and sundried tomatoes, as desired.
Notes
Recipe Tips
Just like any pasta, only cook the orzo until al dente in doneness. You don’t want the texture of the pasta to be mushy, it should have some “bite” to it.
To make the Parmesan ribbons, just run a vegetable peeler across the edge of a block of Parmesan – it works so slick and easy.
If you don’t feel like cooking chicken for this pasta dish, shred or chop the meat from a rotisserie chicken instead. The meat leftover from the whole rotisserie chicken can be tossed into the freezer to use in another meal later.
This recipe uses pesto from a jar, but feel free to make your own pesto from scratch, if desired. I like to make basil pesto in my food processor at the end of the summer when I’ve got a lot of fresh basil to use up. Freeze it in ice cube trays so you can use a few cubes at a time in your favorite Italian recipes.
Nutrition
Calories: 324kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 11gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 68mgSodium: 759mgPotassium: 219mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 1057IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 113mgIron: 1mg
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