Green Pesto Orzo with Spinach
Orzo is often overlooked, but it is such a tasty carb! It’s like risotto’s easier cousin, or if pasta and rice had a baby.
About the green pesto: even if you are vegetarian, you probably want to make sure you get a vegan pesto. Because traditional pesto contains parmesan cheese, which in turn contains veal stomach (rennet).
Green Pesto Orzo with Spinach
Ingredients
- 180 gram orzo
- 400 ml vegetable stock
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 gloves garlic
- 250 gram cherry tomatoes
- 1 red onion
- 250 gram spinach
- 2 tbsp vegan green pesto (pesto genovese)
- handful of pinenuts
- black pepper
Instructions
- Roughly chop the onions, I like halve rings. Heat some oil in a deep saucepan and sauté the onions for 3-4 minutes.
- Take any green of the tomatoes if they have it, and toss them in the pan. Stir and leave on medium heat for about 5 minutes. Don't stir too often! You want the tomatoes to brown.
- Chop or press the garlic and add it to the pan. Bake for about 1-2 minutes.
- Add the orzo and stock. Press any tomatoes that haven't 'popped' yet. Turn down the heat and let it softly boil for 8 minutes. Stir occasionally so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Add the spinach to the pan in batches and stir it in. Then add the pesto and black pepper to your taste. Serve with pine nuts.