What do you call risotto that uses no rice? Orzotto, of course! I didn’t have an aborio rice in the pantry and wanted to make a risotto, so instead, I went with orzo. Basically, the same process as risotto, shallot and pasta in the pan with butter, slowly add the liquid and flavorings, in this case vibrant pureed peas. Orzotto does take as long as traditional risotto though; only about 20 minutes. Scallops were on sale so I didn’t have to take out a loan to afford them. Ha ha ha.
This is a super vibrant thing to make for spring — or all summer long really. It’s one of my go-to recipes when I don’t know what else to make. Peas, perlini mozzarella, pesto (yes, the store bought variety is totally fine!) and pasta of your choice. Also works well as a pasta salad if you’re looking for a cool option.
I am a huge fan of “wild game”, even if most of the stuff that is available is farm raised around here. I pound a few pounds of venison mince the other day and made two recipes (this and the next one). They are delicious. And I am guessing that they are pretty healthy because venison is very lean. Amazingly flavorful for something that is that lean too. While this recipe is a bit time consuming, it is one of the best “cooked” (vs “baked”) things that I have made in recent memory.
It’s not much of a secret that two of my favorite foods are cheese and …. spinach. Yes, spinach. That statement is almost as ridiculous as stating that I love (gasp!) brussels sprouts (which I do), but spinach is something that I could eat every day, every meal. Anything that combines spinach AND cheese is high of the list of favorites, which this does. As we get close to the end of cheese week in the ingredient game, I present this amazing 3-Cheese Manicotti in Creamed Spinach Sauce. It’s vegetarian. It’s filling. It’s delicious and I will be making it over and over again.
