ORZO WITH SUMMER SQUASH AND PESTO

Orzo with Summer Squash and Pesto image

There's still plenty of summer squash in the market. I like to dice it small for this dish, cook it with a little garlic and marjoram or mint and toss it with orzo, a pasta that looks like rice but tastes and feels like pasta. I love the textures of the two, and the pesto completes the dish. Make sure to dice the squash small so the pieces aren't much bigger than the grains of orzo.

Provided by Martha Rose Shulman

Categories dinner, main course

Time 30m

Yield Serves 4 to 5

Number Of Ingredients 8

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Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 pounds zucchini or other summer squash, cut in 1/4-inch dice (about 4 cups)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh marjoram or mint
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
10 ounces (1 1/3 cups) orzo
1/3 cup basil or basil-mint pesto (1/2 batch)
Additional grated Parmesan or pecorino for serving

Steps:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the orzo and salt generously. Meanwhile, heat a large, heavy skillet over medium heat and add olive oil and garlic. Cook, stirring, until garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds, and add summer squash. Turn heat up to medium high and cook, stirring often, until squash is tender and translucent, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in marjoram or mint and season to taste with salt and pepper. Turn off heat.
When water in pot comes to a boil, salt generously and add orzo. Cook 9 minutes, until al dente. Stir 3 to 4 tablespoons of the cooking water into the pesto, then drain orzo and toss with squash. Heat through, add pesto, toss again and serve, passing more Parmesan or pecorino in a bowl.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 319, UnsaturatedFat 3 grams, Carbohydrate 49 grams, Fat 10 grams, Fiber 4 grams, Protein 10 grams, SaturatedFat 1 gram, Sodium 500 milligrams, Sugar 5 grams