Did you love macaroni and cheese when you were a kid? There’s a good chance your answer is “yes”.
And it’s very likely that, being old enough now to appreciate more elaborate dishes, you still like it.
However, maybe you’ve grown tired of the same old macaroni and cheese, and you’re looking for something that, while still resembling your favorite childhood pasta, gives you a different experience.
Would you like to try our recipe for orzo and cheese al burro?
Why use orzo?
If you are looking for a new ingredient to give new life to your old pasta dishes, orzo is the perfect candidate for your election. Why? The answer is very simple: orzo is, despite its appearance, a kind of pasta.
Those small pieces that look like big and long grains of rice are actually semolina pills.
In this curious shape, they are very versatile, as they adapt to so many recipes—they can be served with any sauce that you have already tried with your already known and favorite pasta, or be the base of a delicious stuffing for vegetables, or give body to a green salad.
Of course, the better the quality of the orzo, the better your dish will be and taste. Look for orzo made from durum wheat semolina like the one you’ll find at https://riceselect.com/product/orzo.
Orzo with cheese al burro
So let’s replace the old macaroni with orzo to cook a delicious dish of orzo with cheese al burro—in Italian, al burro means ‘made with butter’.
Ingredients you will need to cook your orzo
- One cup of orzo.
- Half a cup of water.
- A pinch of salt.
Ingredients to prepare the dressing
- Three quarters of a cup of grated Gouda cheese.
- Two or three tablespoons of salted butter.
- One tablespoon of liquid milk.
How to cook your orzo
Just follow these directions.
Step 1:
Place a saucepan of sufficient size on the stove. Remember that orzo is a kind of pasta, so it’ll grow in hot water.
Step 2:
Pour the 1/2 cup of water into the saucepan.
Step 3:
Turn on a medium heat and wait for the water to boil.
Step 4:
When the water boils, pour in a cup of orzo and a pinch of salt. Stir a little.
Step 5:
Let simmer for six to ten minutes, depending on whether you like your pasta more al dente or softer. Don’t cover the pan.
Step 6:
When the orzo has the desired tenderness —al dente or softer—, turn off the heat, put the cooked orzo in a strainer and let the excess water drain.
Step 7:
When the excess water has completely drained, place the orzo in a deep dish.
How to make the dressing
Step 1:
Grate a piece of Gouda cheese until you have enough to fill three quarters of a cup.
Step 2:
Melt the two tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan over low heat. You can also do this in the microwave—please be very careful with the hot melted butter.
Step 3:
Over the orzo served in the deep dish, pour the melted butter and the tablespoon of liquid milk. Stir a little.
Step 4:
Pour a little more than half of the grated cheese over the buttered orzo. Stir until it’s fully mixed with the butter and milk.
If the orzo is still quite hot, you will see the cheese melt a little. If you like the cheese even more melted, you can put the dish in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds.
Step 5:
Put the rest of the cheese on top. Don’t mix and leave it as a cheese topping.
Do you find that the salt is not enough for the orzo you have cooked? Add another pinch of salt and stir the mixture before putting the rest of the cheese on top of the cooked orzo.
Now your orzo with cheese al burro is ready —a totally new and delicious way to eat one of your favorite dishes from when you were a child.
And no doubt, it will be your children’s favorite too.
The amount you’ve cooked and seasoned usually yields two generous servings on two individual plates.
If there are accompaniments to the meal —for example, a salad— even three people can eat with just one cup of cooked orzo.