Pistachio Ramp Pesto Orzo

Spring into this Spring season with my delicious Pistachio Ramp Pesto Orzo Dish!

What day of the week do you typically do your grocery shopping?

Spring is in the air which means that farmers markets here in Toronto are buzzing and the weekends are a wonderful time to get outdoors and get your fresh produce! For me Spring means RAMP time so you know I couldn’t be more excited to share this new recipe with you.

Ramps are also known as wild garlic

They are grown all over Canada during this time of year and I LOVE THEM. This recipe is all about showcasing them in their best light.. and complimenting them with this delicious ramp pesto and orzo.

They only appear in the Spring and are around for a short amount of time so IF you are lucky to find some; grab a BUNCH and make a ramp pesto.

I highly recommend saving some ramps for adding to pasta, or you could sauté them in butter to eat as a gorgeous appetizer. If you can’t find them I would suggest spring onions as a swap however; really nothing compares so get the to a farmers market and keep your eyes peeled.

What is Orzo?

If you are not familiar with Orzo might I take a moment to indulge you; Orzo is a thin, oval, rice-shaped pasta. In Italy, orzo is classified as pastina or “little pasta,” which is a category of very small pastas. It holds the flavours incredibly well and is one of my favourite pastas to work with.

Let’s get cooking!

Pistachio Ramp Pesto Orzo

Teri-Ann Carty

Spring is in the air with RAMPS; they all around during this time of year and I'm so excited to share this Pistachio Ramp Pesto with you!

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Prep Time 30

Cook Time 15

Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Servings 6

Equipment

food processor
stovetop
chef knife

Ingredients

PESTO INGREDIENTS

7 ramps roughly (chopped)
Fistful each of watercress, basil, cilantro, dill (should equal approx. 6 cups)
2 small cloves garlic (roughly chopped)
1 lemon juiced
2 tbsp nutritional yeast or parmesan
½ cup pistachios
¾ cup olive oil
½ tsp sea salt
cracked pepper

ORZO INGREDIENTS

400 gr gf orzo
7 asparagus spears (trimmed)
1 cup steamed green peas
1 cup pesto
¾ cup crumbled feta
2 cups watercress or arugula (hard stems removed from watercress)
sea salt
cracked pepper

Instructions

PESTO INSTRUCTIONS

Place everything but olive oil into the bowl of a food processor.
Turn machine on and slowly drizzle olive oil through the chute. Scrape down sides as needed. Add more oil if pesto seems dry.
Taste for seasoning and add to a jar sealed with a lid.

ORZO INSTRUCTIONS

Boil orzo in salted water for approximately 9 minutes or until al dente. Rinse orzo with cold water, drain and place into a large bowl.
Preheat airfryer or oven to 390. Drizzle trimmed asparagus with olive oil and season with salt and cracked pepper. Airfry for 7 minutes or bake until fork tender. Aprox 10 minutes. Chop asparagus into bite sized pieces and add to the bowl of orzo.
Add remaining ingredients and gently toss to combine. Check for seasoning and serve!

Notes

This dish is perfect for BBQ season. It is a wonderful make ahead meal, meal prep meal and lasts in the fridge for up to 1 week.
You can add whatever protein you would like from tofu, chicken, salmon or any legume to make it a complete meal.

Keyword flexitarian, gluten free, orzo, pesto, ramps, vegetarian, wild garlic, wild leek

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