Orzo, Asparagus and Shrimp



16 (6 oz.) thin asparagus, cut into 1" pieces

1-3/4 cups (12 oz.) orzo

6 TB unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 lb. shelled and deveined medium shrimp

Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

1 cup chicken stock or low sodium broth

2 TB flat leaf parsley, chopped

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving



Bring a large sauce pan of salted water to a boil. Add the asparagus; cook

over high heat

until tender. With a slotted spoon, transfer the asparagus to a plate. Add

the orzo to the

boiling water; cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 10 minutes.



Cut the asparagus into 1" pieces. In a medium skillet, melt the butter over

moderately high

heat. Reduce the heat to moderate and cook until the butter begins to brown.

Add the shrimp,

season with salt and pepper and cook over moderate heat until pink and

curled, about 1 minute

per side. With a slotted spoon, add the shrimp to the asparagus. Reserve the

skillet.



Drain the orzo, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking water, then return to the

saucepan and stir in the

brown butter. Set the skillet over high heat and add the stock, scraping up

any browned bits stuck

to the bottom of the pan. Pour the stock and the reserved cooking water into

the orzo; cook over

moderate heat, stirring, until creamy, 2 minutes. Stir in the asparagus and

shrimp and cook until

heated through. Remove from the heat. Stir in the parsley and the 1/2 cup of

Parmesan.



Season with salt and pepper.



Transfer the risotto to bowls and serve with more Parmesan.



Serves: 4.

Baked Creamy Orzo and Spinach



1 tablespoon salt

1 pound orzo (rice-shaped pasta)

two 10 ounce packages frozen spinach

2 garlic cloves

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup canned chicken broth

2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese (about 4 ounces)

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

2 slices rye or white bread

2 tablespoons butter



Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the salt and orzo and boil 4 minutes. Add the

spinach and cook 5 minutes more or until the orzo is al dente. Drain the mixture

in a sieve and rinse under cold water. Drain well.



Mince and mash the garlic to a paste with 1/4 teaspoon salt and add put it in a

large bowl. Add the cream, broth, cheese, pepper, nutmeg, orzo and spinach and combine

well. Transfer the mixture to a buttered baking dish.



In a food processor blend the bread and butter together until crumbly and sprinkle

on top of the orzo. The orzo can be made up to this point and frozen, covered well.



Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake the orzo, uncovered for 1 hour or until golden and bubbly

around the edge.



Serves 10

Orzo with Creamy Chicken

Prep: 15 min; Cook: 15 min

Makes 4 servings, about 1 cup each



1 1/3 cups uncooked rosamarina (orzo) pasta

(8 ounces)

2 tablespoons margarine or butter

3/4 pound skinless boneless chicken breast

halves, cut into 1-inch pieces

3 cups sliced green onions (3 medium)

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons chopped fresh or 1/2 teaspoon

dried thyme leaves

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 cup milk

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese



1. Cook pasta as directed on package



2. While pasta is cooking, melt margarine in 3-

quart saucepan over medium heat. Cook chicken,

mushrooms, onions and garlic in margarine about 5

minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is no

longer pink in center



3. Stir in flour, thyme and pepper. Cook over

medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is

smooth and bubbly; remove from heat. Gradually stir

in milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and

stir 1 minute. Stir in cheese until melted



4. Drain orzo. Pour chicken mixture over orzo; toss

if desired