My Gluten-free Orzo with Asparagus & Lemon Zest recipe calls for gluten-free orzo, so naturally I was thrilled to find a one made by Pappardelle’s Pasta recently at Pike Place Market down on the waterfront of Seattle. I have never tried the “gluten” version of orzo, but have always been disappointed at restaurants when some of their most delicious sounding menu items contain orzo. Pappardelle’s is made from tapioca flour, brown rice flour, organic corn flour and quinoa, I have been most impressed with the texture and taste of this little pasta. It cooks well and does not have a mushy texture in any way. Pappardelle’s have over fifteen gluten-free pasta offerings from basil garlic penne to lemon-pepper fusilli. They are a little pricey, but worth the investment, especially for a special occasion. Here is a link to their site: Pappardelle’sPasta, where they also list several gluten-free recipes to use with their pasta.
We wandered our way through Pike Place enjoying the flowers, seafood and local folk with their musical flare. But a warning– watch out for the fish man who just might scare the bajeebers out of you when he attempts to catch you off guard with his wide-mouthed bass! If you ever visit Seattle, Pike Place Market needs to be a must on your list of city adventures.
I used Pappardelle’s gluten-free Italian pesto orzo for my Gluten-free Orzo with Asparagus and Lemon Zest recipe, but DeLallo from Italy makes a corn and rice orzo you might find in your local grocery store that may be substituted.
Gluten-free Orzo with Asparagus & Lemon Zest
Print recipe
| Serves | 4 |
| Prep time | 45 minutes |
| Cook time | 15 minutes |
| Total time | 1 hour |
| Dietary | Gluten-free |
| Meal type | Lunch, Main Dish, Salad, Side Dish |
| Misc | Pre-preparable |
Ingredients
cook
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 1/2 cup GF orzo pasta
steam
- 12 stalks medium asparagus (cut in 1" pieces)
raw
- 2 scallion (chop 1/4" and half way up green stems)
- 5 Large basil leaf (finely chopped)
- 1 Large lemon (juice from center and zest from rind)
- 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/4 cup garlic & herb chevre (goat cheese) (coarsely crumbled)
- sea salt & course ground black pepper (to taste)
Directions
| boil | |
| Step 1 | |
| Place water and stock in a medium saucepan and bring to boil. | |
| Step 2 | |
| Pour gluten-free orzo into boiling water and reduce to medium heat. Set timer for 12 minutes. | |
| steam | |
| Step 3 | |
| Cut asparagus and place in a steam basket over boiling orzo and cover for 6-8 minutes or until asparagus is slightly soft. | |
| raw | |
| Step 4 | |
| Cut scallions 1/4" thick and half way up the green stems. Reserve a few for garnish. Set aside. | |
| Step 5 | |
| Zest the rind of one lemon. Cut the lemon in half. Set aside. | |
| Step 6 | |
| Finely chop five large basil leaves and set aside. | |
| Step 7 | |
| Remove orzo pasta from pan when it has completely absorbed all liquid, approximately 12-15 minutes. Place orzo in a medium bowl and refrigerate until cool, stirring occasionally to release heat. | |
| Step 8 | |
| Remove cooled orzo from refrigerator and place chopped scallions and chopped basil leaves into orzo. Add extra virgin olive oil, the juice of one lemon, and lemon zest into bowl. Add crumbled chevre, salt and pepper and gently stir. Serve cool with scallion garnish. | |
This recipe was also shared on the following blogs: WeekendWindDown, GlutenFreeFridays, TheWearyChef, ThatDIYParty, ThisGalCooks, SweetSavourySunday, FeedingBig, RealFoodForager, BlackberryVine, Titus2Tuesday, TheGatheringPlace, You’reGonaaLoveItTuesday, HopesCafe, LadyBehindtheCurtain, TheDIYDreamer
oh my, this is yet another great recipe – thanks for sharing!
This sounds amazing! I’m definitely going to be trying this!
This looks yummy, I love the ingredients in this. Have a great day!!
Great recipe – Unfortunately, Pappardelle’s Pasta only carries an Italian blend GF Orzo now (just there yesterday) but I will give a try. Thanks for sharing.