This is such a light and flavorful dish, with great textures from the crunchy toasted pine nuts, and crispy asparagus. The lemon orzo could be a side dish for any meal, or like I have done, add some lean protein to make it a meal.
Lemon Orzo:
There are a few components to make for this dish: Lemon Garlic Dressing, Blanched Asparagus, Toasted Pine Nuts, Orzo, Sauteed Shrimp.
Lemon Garlic Dressing: First, make the dressing for the orzo. In a small bowl, mix the following and set aside. Add the olive oil last and use a whisk to mix and emulsify.
1 Lemon zested
Juice of 1/2 lemon
3 cloves garlic minced
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
Blanched Asparagus:
Such an easy way to cook asparagus and gives you such an amazing crunchy result. If you are not a fan of asparagus, broccoli is also a great option in this- and can be cooked the same way- just make sure to cut the broccoli into thin florets.
Clean and prep 1 lb of asparagus by snapping the end pieces off.
Using a sauté pan with a tight-fitting lid, boil about 1/ 1/2 cups of water- just enough that it will cover the asparagus.
Once the water is boiling, add the asparagus, cover, and remove from heat, letting the asparagus steam.
Leave covered till the water is cooled to room temp. Then remove the asparagus, cut into about 2 inch pieces and set aside.
Toasted Pine Nuts
Take 1/2 cup of pine nuts and lightly toast in a heated pan over medium heat. Only take a few minutes, just keep stirring them so they don't burn. Once toasted, set aside.
Orzo
Cook your orzo in chicken broth or stock. It gives alot of flavor to the pasta. Could also sub for vegetable stock/broth.
In a large pot, bring the broth/stock to a boil and add the orzo. Cook uncovered until tender- about 8-10 minutes. If you have any remaining liquid- drain, but do not rinse the orzo.
1 1/2 cup dry orzo pasta
4 cups chicken stock/ broth
1 teaspoon of salt
Now it is time to bring it all together!
In a large sauté pan, on low heat, add the cooked orzo, and top with the toasted pine nuts, asparagus, and the lemon dressing, and mix well.
Add about a handful of chopped parsley, and mix, remove from heat. Your Lemon Orzo is ready to serve!
If you would like to add a protein, such as shrimp, you can just add on top, or on the side.
The shrimp was a great add to make it a balanced meal, and cooks quickly. I was able to make the shrimp while finalizing the orzo dish. For the shrimp, I seasoned with garlic salt, and a bit of cajun season and lemon pepper, and just quickly sauteed.
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