Easy peasy: One-Pan Zucchini Pesto Orzo with Parmesan and Shrimp

Do you like rice and pasta? Then orzo is something for you! It is dry pasta in the form of rice. It is often compared to risotto. The Italians often use it in soups, the Greeks in pilaf, and it is also used in stews in Arab cuisine.

Here in the Netherlands, it is not known yet, but that could change soon. Let me give you this easy recipe full of fresh flavors, a delicious one-pan meal (and, therefore, one of those dinner recipes that is ideal for a busy weekday). The ingredients are Mediterranean-inspired, which makes this dish give you summer on your plate. 

Ingredients Easy One Pan Zucchini Pesto Orzo Recipe

A complete list of ingredients can be found at the end of this blog. ( I forgot to put the pesto and tomatoes in the picture. I’m going to put a redo of this picture on my to-do list ;-))

• Orzo: A dried pasta in the shape of rice. It is also called Riso or Kritharaki. Cook it al dente for this recipe.
• White wine: Use a dry white wine like Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio.
• Shrimp: You can use precooked shrimp in this recipe. Because it is cooked in moisture, they don’t dry out. You can replace the shrimps with chicken cubes (poach them in chicken stock first) or mushrooms (this will give you a vegetarian recipe).
• String beans: String beans are in season from July to October (and therefore with the best flavor in these months). But these days, you can get them all year round. You can also replace the string beans with green beans that you cut into 1 cm pieces.
• Pesto: Use a creamy green basil pesto. The pesto gives a lot of flavor to this recipe, so you want to use a good one here. Make a homemade pesto by combining the following pesto ingredients: fresh basil leaves, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, garlic, sea salt, and extra-virgin olive oil. Blend until you get a pesto sauce. If you don’t like basil, you could also use spinach (that will give you a spinach pesto)
• Parmesan cheese: Melts through the orzo and gives it a wonderful taste. You could also use Grana Padano.

How do you make this One-Pan Zucchini-Pesto Orzo?

A recipe that you can easily print can be found at the bottom of the blog.

1. Place the stock, wine, and herbs in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. Add the orzo, string beans, diced tomatoes, and zucchini to the pan and bring to the boil again.
3. Simmer over medium heat for 4 minutes, and then add the shrimp.
4. Cook for a couple of minutes, turn off the heat.
5. Toss the pesto through this dish so that everything gets a delicious pesto layer.
6. Add the Parmesan cheese and sun-dried tomatoes, and serve.

Also delicious: add some olive oil, black pepper, lemon zest, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil to taste. Roast some pine nuts and spread them on top.