asparagus orzotto

making risotto with orzo, the small rice-shaped pasta, has been on my to-cook list for quite some time. i finally got round to it last week, using my first british asparagus of the year to do so.

the methodology is simple - make a risotto as you normally would, but substitute the rice for orzo and don't worry about constantly stirring it as it cooks.

the resulting dish was a little odd and, i have to confess, not something i'll be rushing to make again. the pasta becomes very silky in texture (similar to the pasta dishes i have made using the absorption method) and it's actually quite difficult to find the taste of pasta in the end dish. for me it was a dish with missing flavours and given the clean silky texture didn't provide any of the comfort that comes with a normal risotto i struggled to find things i did like about this.

despite my lack of love for this dish i am sharing it with chaya, the comfy cook, who is hosting this week's presto pasta nights. fellow ppn-er's, if you have any ideas about how i should use up the rest of my packet of orzo please let me know. a friend has suggested a lamb recipe but i'm keen to hear other ideas too.