Baked Orzo and Artichokes

Amarante

Thu, Nov 17 2022, 9:57 am

This was delicious - Smitten Kitchen recipes tend to work out for me - very excellent results for the amount of work - nothing tricky. Per the notes, this one heats well so you could make a double batch

Baked Orzo and Artichokes

Excerpt From: Deb Perelman - Smitten Kitchen Keepers

Way back in the Smitten Kitchen archives is a baked-orzo dish inspired by Yotam Ottolenghi that manages to be absolutely jammed with vegetables, luxurious (cheese sssstretches from every forkful) but unheavy, devoid of milk, cream, or even a marinara sauce. It’s perfect for late summer. But this is the version I make for spring, lemony, herby, and artichoke-rich. Despite being a devout artichoke-lover, I’ve struggled with canned artichokes, because they can have a flattened, tinny flavor. But here they’re triumphant. Sautéed onion, scallions, garlic, lemon zest, and pepper flakes even them out; lemon juice, three herbs, and Parmesan wake up their dynamic flavor. The orzo cooks right in the pan and the recipe comes together quickly. You could have this as a side dish for a bigger spring feast, but I often just make a salad and call it a delicious day. The flavors are bright and warm; you could even take a bite, close your eyes, and beam spring to you all the way from January.”

2 tablespoons (25 grams) olive oil
1 tablespoon (15 grams) unsalted butter
4 scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated
1 medium onion, thinly sliced into half-moons
3 garlic cloves, minced
Two 14-ounce (400-gram) cans artichoke hearts in water, drained, roughly chopped
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Red-pepper flakes
8 ounces (225 grams) uncooked orzo
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
3 tablespoons minced fresh mint
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
4 ounces (115 grams) mozzarella, cut into small cubes
½ cup (50 grams) grated Parmesan
1½ cups (355 grams) vegetable broth

Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

Heat a large sauté pan (ideally one that can go into the oven) over medium heat. Once it’s hot, add the oil and butter; when the butter is melted, add the scallion whites, onion, and garlic. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until softened. Add the artichokes, zest, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, many grinds of black pepper, plus red-pepper flakes, to taste, and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes.

Remove from the heat. Add the lemon juice, and stir to scrape up any stuck bits. Stir in the orzo, scallion greens, and herbs, then mozzarella and half of the Parmesan.

If your pan isn’t oven-safe, transfer everything to a 2-to-2½-quart baking dish, which often measures 8 by 11 inches. Pour the broth over the top, giving it a light stir to distribute it, and then add the remaining Parmesan on top.

Cover tightly with foil, bake for 20 minutes, remove the foil, and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes, or until the orzo on top is crisp and the orzo below the top layer is cooked through.

Serve warm.

Notes

•You’ll have a bit over 1 pound, or 3 cups, of artichokes, once they’re drained and chopped. You can replace half, if you wish, with frozen peas or another spring vegetable, such as asparagus.

•If you want to skip the cheese, I’d suggest doubling the onion and the olive oil for richness.

•You could easily double everything for more servings.

“Leftovers will keep for 5 days in the fridge and reheat well.”