Sunset Orzo With Spanish Shrimp

Submitted by Boomette

"I love orzo pasta. This recipe is from Rachael Ray."

 

• Ready In: 30mins
• Ingredients: 15
• Serves: 4

ingredients

• salt
• 1⁄2 lb orzo pasta
• 2 pinches saffron threads
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1⁄3 lb spanish chorizo, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 small red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1⁄3 cup green peas
• 1 lb medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
• 1⁄4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1⁄2 lemon, juice of

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 of olive oil, 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 olive oil, 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.

Reviews

[DailyInspiration]

This is a great recipe and one I plan to make again soon! Living here on the Gulf Coast, we have fresh shrimp readily available and I love mixing them with the flavors of the chorizo and smoky paprika. This dish resembles a paella, but I really like the orzo better than rice. Thanks for a great recipe. Made for the Best of 2012 tag.

 

[loof751]

What a great and flavorful dish! I made half the recipe but with 10 oz of shrimp and got 2 generous servings. The lemony shrimp was a perfect combination with the orzo and veggies. Thanks for sharing the recipe! Made for the Best of 2012 event, recommended by FLKeysJen

 

[Muffin Goddess]

I'm with ya, Boomette -- love the orzo! I had two pounds of shrimp, so I doubled the recipe. Really flavorful, and so vibrant in color. My only complaint was that I shouldn't have added the extra turmeric because it gave the dish a bit of a bitter undertone, but that was my own fault (I was looking at the extra spoonful and thinking I shouldn't add that much turmeric, but then I just tossed it in anyway). Other than that, this recipe was perfect for us. I'm sure I'll be making this one again, thanks for posting! Made for The Honeys for ZWT8

 

[FLKeysJen]

Five stars all the way! Not sure if the turmeric is even necessary - comes together quickly with lots of huge flavor. Next time I'll use a full pound box of orzo to serve four people. Also there must be a way to reduce the number of pots. Unlike Rachael, I don't have a staff to clean my kitchen!

 

[pinkie]

I wasn't crazy about this recipe. I thought the turmeric was very overwhelming.