Orzo With Celery, Cranberries and Pecans
photo by CSR16618
- Ready In:
- 35mins
- Ingredients:
- 11
- Yields:
-
5 cups
- Serves:
- 6
ingredients
- 14.79 ml butter
- 14.79 ml olive oil
- 177.44 ml yellow red onion (if desired, use red onion if you choose to prepare this as a salad)
- 354.88 ml diced celery
- 354.88 ml orzo pasta (cooked in vegetable or chicken broth and drained)
- 118.29 ml dried cranberries (reduced from 3/4 cup)
- 118.29 ml pecans (toasted) or 118.29 ml sliced almonds (toasted)
- 44.37 ml fresh basil (fresh only!)
- 9.85 ml lemon juice
- 0.25 ml salt
- cracked black pepper
directions
- STUFFING: Melt butter with olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add diced onion, cooking 4 minutes or until onions are translucent and golden brown.
- Add celery; cook 4 minutes longer.
- In a large bowl, combine the drained orzo, cooked celery and onion, cranberries, nuts, basil, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.
- Toss gently.
- At this point, if desired, the orzo is now ready to be stuffed.
-
Variations:
- As a SIDE DISH: Heat up the olive oil and butter in a saute pan on medium heat. Saute the celery, onion and UNCOOKED orzo pasta until lightly browned.
- Add 3 cups water or broth and bring to boil. Cover pan, reduce heat and simmer on low for 20 minutes or until liquid has evaporated.
- Remove from heat and stir in the cranberries, pecans, fresh basil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
- To make it as a SALAD: boil orzo and cook until tender. Drain and rinse under cool water. Drain again. Transfer orzo to a salad bowl. Add the diced onion, minced celery and shredded basil to the pasta. In a small non-reactive bowl, whisk together about 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice (play around with the proportion and amount of oil and lemon juice as desired), salt and pepper. Stir the vinaigrette into the orzo. FYI: the butter is omitted.
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Reviews
-
I've made this recipe several times, but with brown rice since I just never have orzo around. And usually slivered almonds instead of pecans. The flavors are incredible, and I've used this recipe as a base for other food items. I turned it into a sort of casserole for Thanksgiving last year, for example, and everyone raved about it!
Tweaks
-
I've made this recipe several times, but with brown rice since I just never have orzo around. And usually slivered almonds instead of pecans. The flavors are incredible, and I've used this recipe as a base for other food items. I turned it into a sort of casserole for Thanksgiving last year, for example, and everyone raved about it!
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
COOKGIRl
United States