Zucchini Pesto Orzo #recipe from Molly MacRae

When your garden or the farmers markets start popping with zucchini and tomatoes, this is the recipe you need. It’s fairly easy, especially if you use pesto from your freezer or from the store. The taste is absolutely luxurious. I plan to try it with spinach, sometime, and with broccoli. I also plan to try roasting the zucchini and onion rather than sautéing them to see what difference that makes.  

Here's an oops – I left the fresh mozzarella out of the picture with the ingredients!

 

Zucchini Pesto Orzo

 

Ingredients

2 medium zucchini, diced (12 ounces total, about 2 1/2 cups)

1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, to taste

1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided

1 3/4 cups vegetable stock

1 cup orzo

1 lemon, zested and halved

1 cup halved cherry or other small tomato

8 ounces fresh mozzarella, cubed 

1/2 cup Parmesan (3 ounces)

1/4 cup finely chopped mint

1/2 cup pesto (store-bought or homemade) (I made a small batch, about 3/4 cup, for this dish and added all of it – maybe a bit of overkill but delicious!) 

Directions

In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, combine zucchini and onion with olive oil and red pepper flakes and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring once or twice, until zucchini and onion turn golden brown. (The original recipe says 10-12 minutes. It took mine closer to 30 minutes. Maybe I didn’t have the skillet hot enough or I stirred too often.)

Stir in stock and bring to a simmer. Stir in orzo, lemon zest, the  remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Cover and simmer over medium-low until orzo is nearly cooked through and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes, stirring once or twice.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, toss tomatoes and mozzarella with a pinch of salt, a pinch of red pepper flakes, and a drizzle of olive oil. Let marinate while orzo cooks.

When orzo is ready, stir in juice of 1/2 lemon, Parmesan, mint, and pesto. Cover the pan and cook for 1 minute. Taste for seasoning. Add more lemon juice or pesto if needed.

To serve, top with the marinated mixture. Sprinkle with more mint leaves and Parmesan, if desired. 

🍅🍅🍅

 
Ready for summer reading? Visit Ocracoke Island, off the coast of North Carolina, in the Haunted Shell Shop Mysteries.

Or travel to the Scottish Highlands in the Highland Bookshop Mysteries.

Spend time in northeast Tennessee in the Haunted Yarn Shop Mysteries, two stand-alone mysteries, and a collection of short stories.

Or travel from Cape Cod on the east coast to Monterey on the west coast, with a stop in Ohio along the way in my very gentle mysteries written as Margaret Welch.

Happy reading!

The Boston Globe says Molly MacRae writes “murder with a dose of drollery.” She’s the author of the award-winning, national bestselling Haunted Yarn Shop Mysteries and the Highland Bookshop Mysteries. As Margaret Welch, she writes books for Annie’s Fiction. Her short stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine and she’s a winner of the Sherwood Anderson Award for Short Fiction. Visit Molly on Facebook and Pinterest and connect with her on Instagram or Bluesky.