This recipe comes from
Rachael Ray's website and was also in her magazine. If you read often, which I know a lot of people do because of the wonderful comments you guys have been leaving, you know I love orzo. This meal uses a lot of stuff I regularly have in the pantry and freezer.
Ingredients: (serves 4)
* Salt
* 1/2 pound orzo pasta
* 2 pinches saffron threads
* 1 cup chicken broth
* 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
* 1/3 pound Spanish chorizo, chopped
* 1 onion, chopped
* 1 small red bell pepper, chopped
* 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
* 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
* 1/3 cup green peas
* 1 pound medium shelled and deveined shrimp
* 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
* 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
* Juice of 1/2 lemon
Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the orzo and cook until just al dente. Drain and cover.
2. While the pasta is working, in a small saucepan, steep the saffron in the chicken broth over low heat.
3. In a medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon EVOO, 1 turn of the pan, over medium heat. Add the chorizo and cook until browned, 2 minutes. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic and turmeric and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the peas.
4. In another medium skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook until pink and firm, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the parsley, paprika and lemon juice; season with salt. Remove from the heat.
5. Pour the saffron broth over the chorizo and vegetables. Add the orzo and toss for 2 minutes. To serve, top the orzo with the shrimp
Start boiling some water and lets gather our ingredients.
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You need some peas, saffron, orzo, chicken broth, chorizo or sausage, onion, red bell pepper, garlic, turmeric, shrimp, parsley, paprika, and some lemon.
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Chop up the shallots or onions. I love shallots so that is what I used.
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Chop your garlic.
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Chop the red pepper. Get your Orzo in the boiling water while you continue making the rest of the meal.
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Get the saffron into a sauce pan with the chicken broth over low heat.
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Keep an eye on your orzo as it will cook quickly.
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While all of that goes on cook up the sausage or chorizo in some olive oil for about 2 minutes.
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Add in the onion, pepper, garlic and turmeric and cook for 5 minutes.
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Stir in the peas. If your shrimp is not cooked, grab yet another pan and get those cooking for 2-3 minutes. Drain your orzo and set aside.
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I used cooked shrimp so I just tossed mine in the broth to warm through.
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I added the shrimp, broth, parsley, paprika and lemon juice into the pan where my veggies were. Stir in the drained orzo and you are ready to eat.
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This was a tasty and colorful meal that is a great way to use up some things in your freezer and pantry. I just want to say thanks again for all the wonderful comments and emails.