Lemon asparagus orzo
Creamy, risotto-style orzo with tender asparagus, lemon zest and parmesan, a bright spring dinner from one pot.
- 30 min total
- 25 min hands-on
- Follow-a-recipe easy
- Serves 4
- About $2.52 a serving
- 390 calories
- Good the next day
- Vegetarian
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 1 lb asparagus
- 1 shallot, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1½ cups orzo
- 3½ cups vegetable broth
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- ½ cup grated parmesan
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp chives, chopped (optional)
From your pantry
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Each serving has about 390 calories, 15 g protein, 59 g carbs and 11 g fat, and costs about $2.52 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No lemons? Limes work.
- No grated parmesan? Parmesan wedge works.
- No butter? Ghee works.
- No chives? Green onions work.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
Snap the woody ends off the asparagus and cut the spears into 1-inch pieces. the shallot and garlic.
Mince. Mincing means chopping something into the tiniest pieces you can, smaller than a grain of rice. Tiny pieces melt into the dish, so you get the flavor without biting into a chunk of garlic.
How you’ll know: Every piece is tiny and about the same size, and the pile starts to look almost like a paste.
Dolly’s tip: Bend a spear and it snaps right where the tough part ends.Heat the oil in a large over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook 2 minutes, until soft, then stir in the garlic and orzo for 1 minute.
Saucepan. A saucepan is a pot with tall, straight sides and one long handle. It’s for things that need depth, like rice, sauces or a few boiled eggs.
How you’ll know: The food fills it about halfway, leaving room to bubble without spilling over.
Medium heatTimer: 3 min
Pour in the broth and salt, turn the heat to high, and .
Bring to a boil. It means heating a liquid on high until it’s fully boiling before you move on. A lid on the pot gets it there faster, which makes it a good moment to chop something.
How you’ll know: Big bubbles break all over the surface, and they keep coming when you lift the lid.
High heat
Turn the heat to medium and 5 minutes, stirring often.
Simmer. Simmering means keeping a liquid just below a boil, with small bubbles rising gently. It cooks food evenly and lets a sauce thicken without scorching on the bottom.
How you’ll know: Small, lazy bubbles break the surface every second or so, and nothing is churning.
Medium heatTimer: 5 min
Dolly’s tip: Stir often and scrape the bottom. Orzo loves to glue itself to the pot.Stir in the asparagus and 4 to 5 minutes more, until the orzo is tender and the asparagus is bright green and .
Simmer. Simmering means keeping a liquid just below a boil, with small bubbles rising gently. It cooks food evenly and lets a sauce thicken without scorching on the bottom.
How you’ll know: Small, lazy bubbles break the surface every second or so, and nothing is churning.
Tender-crisp. Tender-crisp means vegetables cooked until just tender but still with a little snap. They keep their bright color and crunch instead of going soft and dull.
How you’ll know: A fork goes in with slight resistance, and the color is bright, not olive or gray.
Medium heatTimer: 4 min 30 sec
Take it off the heat and stir in the lemon , 2 tablespoons lemon juice, the parmesan, butter and pepper until creamy.
Zest. Zest is the thin, colored outer layer of citrus peel, rubbed off on the smallest holes of a grater. It holds the fruit’s fragrant oils, so it adds bright flavor without the sourness of juice.
How you’ll know: You see bright flecks and smell citrus right away; stop when you reach the white layer, which is bitter.
Taste, add more lemon or salt if it needs it, and serve with chives on top.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
