Summer minestrone and pancetta orzotto

  • Portion size: Serves 4
  • Hands-on time 25 min
  • Difficulty: easy

Taste the flavours of summer in this fresh risotto-style pasta dish – a great recipe for a quick midweek dinner as it uses tiny orzo pasta. It’s a riff on the more traditional orzotto, which is usually made with pearl barley.

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Ingredients

  •  2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 80g pancetta cubes
  • 260g orzo pasta
  • 500ml chicken stock
  • Juice 1 lemon
  • 200g frozen petits pois
  • 2 tbsp fresh pesto, plus extra to serve (we like Sacla)
  • Large bunch fresh flatleaf parsley, roughly chopped
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Method

  1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat and fry the onion for 5 minutes. Add the pancetta and fry for a further 3-4 minutes, then stir in the orzo.
  2. Cook for 1-2 minutes, then add all the stock. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 7-8 minutes until nearly tender. Stir in the lemon juice and frozen peas. Simmer for a few minutes more, then add the pesto and parsley. Season to taste, then serve with an extra dollop of pesto and a squeeze of lemon.
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  • FAQs

    Unlike our updated recipe here, orzotto is usually made with pearl barley instead of rice or orzo. It’s most common in the north-eastern area of Italy. ‘Orzotto’ is portmanteau of orzo (the Italian word for barley) and risotto.

    Nutrition

    • 453kcals Calories
    • 16.8g (4.1g saturated) Fat
    • 15.8g Protein
    • 56.1g (5.1g sugars) Carbs
    • 7.2g Fibre
    • 1.2g Salt

    Quick wins & tips

    Cook double the recipe and freeze half in a sealed plastic container for up to 1 month.

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