Creamy Orzo

Seriously? This is the best thing I've eaten in a long time. I cannot believe that I never thought to do this myself. Giada's Creamy Orzo was a HUGE hit in my house last night, and for good reason. It's creamy... yummy... not too unhealthy... DELISH! My only regret is that I halved the recipe; I would have loved more leftovers!



I wish that I had made this when there was more daylight... the picture does not do this side justice. It looked so much yummier in person...

Ingredients:

• 1 pound orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large shallot, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, juices drained (I used a bunch of grape tomatoes that I cut in half)
  
• 1 1/4 cups whipping cream
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring a heavy large saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the orzo and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a heavy large frying pan over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic, and saute until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook until they are tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in the cream and peas. Add the orzo and toss to coat. Remove the skillet from the heat. Add the Parmesan to the pasta mixture and toss to coat. Stir the pasta mixture until the sauce coats the pasta thickly, adding enough reserved cooking liquid to maintain a creamy consistency. Season the orzo with salt and pepper, and serve.