Zucchini Orzo with Lemon

Heat a medium-sized pot over low heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil plus 1 tablespoon of butter. Allow butter to melt completely.
Add in the 4 minced cloves of garlic and saute until soft and fragrant, but not toasted. Add in the 1 cup of uncooked orzo pasta. Stir to coat the orzo in the oil and butter and gently toast for 30 secs-1 minute.
Add about ¼ cup of chicken stock to the pot and stir to combine, making sure no orzo or garlic is stuck to the bottom of the pot. Continue stirring with the heat on medium, until the orzo begins to absorb the broth. Once the broth is mostly absorbed, add another ¼ cup of chicken stock and repeat.
Once half of your chicken stock is added in, add the shredded zucchini. Stir to combine. While the zucchini cooks, it will release some moisture into the orzo, so continue stirring over medium heat for another 5 minutes.
Add all of the remaining chicken stock (about ½ a cup) along with 1.5 teaspoons of Diamond Crystal kosher salt (always taste and adjust as needed). Stir to combine and simmer for about 5 minutes, or until orzo is cooked all the way through.
Mix in 1 or 2 tablespoons of Mascarpone cheese and continue stirring until it is completely melted into the orzo.
At this point, if the orzo is still very soupy, you may wish to simmer on high while stirring to reduce some of the liquid. This is optional as some people may prefer the looser texture.
Crack in some fresh black pepper along with the juice of ½ a lemon and stir to combine. Take one final taste and adjust for salt, lemon, or pepper as desired.
Serve zucchini orzo hot and garnish with more black pepper and some freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

Nutrition