Broccoli and cheddar orzotto
A gorgeously green, wonderfully easy midweek winner to kick off your January
Well hello friends and welcome back to A Lot On Her Plate, where today I’m sharing a recipe that was made for these early weeks of January, when energy is low, appetites are large and our bodies and souls are howling for a little comfort, nourishment and goodness. All hail this stunning, sumptuous orzo dish which packs in a whole head of broccoli, a healthy helping of cheddar cheese and bright, sweet, squishy little pops of fruity oven roasted tomatoes.
Some of you might have seen my recipes for Cacio E Pepe Potato Gratin and Bitter Leaf salad in The Guardian over the weekend - indeed some of you will have found this newsletter by reading the piece, and if you did - welcome new friends, it’s lovely to have you with us!
Before we begin, thank you again for your amazing support on my Happy New Year post and pregnancy announcement - the messages, comments and kind words you shared were so hugely appreciated, particularly as I’d felt so nervous about writing that newsletter, but it felt so good to connect with many of you on a subject that is so nuanced and sensitive.
It was also wonderful to chat with some of you more deeply at the weekend over on my first ever Thread (exciting) where we have been chatting about What Gets In Your Way As A Cook - so big thanks to everyone who shared their thoughts and comments over there, there was so much overlap with what people were sharing and it was fun and super insightful to hear about you guys in a bit more detail. This community really is the absolute best!
But now, to pasta. Have you ever had the satisfaction of smushing an entire head of blanched broccoli into a pan of sizzling olive oil laced with garlic and chilli? Only to let it down with some pasta water and stir through handfuls of sharp, salty cheddar and slippery orzo? If not, can I make the case that it’s something you might do over the next couple of weeks in order to recreate this gorgeous green orzotto? You’ll thank yourself for the -albeit minimal and rather enjoyable - effort once you sink your face into a bowl of this creamy, soothing, silky pasta, which is sauced with this brilliant brassica, sharpened by cheddar and shot through with toasted pine nuts and little fruity oven roasted tomatoes. It’s an ideal midweek dinner and something our whole family enjoys - including our usually broccoli-averse toddler. And conveniently, there’s no need to dirty a blender as you make the sauce in the skillet you fry the broccoli in. Dreamy.
And, rather brilliantly,