By Martha Rose Shulman
- Total Time
- About 30 minutes
- Rating
- 4(558)
- Notes
- Read community notes
This is like a pasta version of the classic rice and peas risotto, risi e bisi. It’s a beautiful springtime dish. You can make a whole batch of pesto so that you have it on hand for other uses (like sandwiches), but for this dish you’ll need only a half batch.
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- 2garlic cloves, halved, green shoots removed
- 2cups tightly packed flat-leaf parsley leaves
- Salt to taste
- ⅓cup extra virgin olive oil
- 6tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
- Freshly ground pepper
- 10ounces (1⅓ cups) orzo
- 1½cups fresh peas (about 1¾ pound in the shell)
- Additional grated Parmesan or Pecorino for serving (optional)
For the Parsley Pesto
For the Pasta
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
540 calories; 23 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 15 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 64 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 19 grams protein; 443 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Make the pesto. Turn on a food processor fitted with the steel blade and drop in the garlic. When it is chopped and adhering to the sides of the bowl, stop the machine and scrape down the bowl. Alternatively, mash with a generous pinch of salt in a mortar and pestle. Add the parsley to the food processor (or to the mortar and pestle) and process until finely chopped (or grind to a paste in the mortar and pestle). With the machine running, add the olive oil in a slow stream and process until the mixture is smooth (or slowly work into the mixture using the mortar and pestle). Stop the machine, scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the cheese. Pulse to combine. Measure out ⅓ cup and refrigerate the rest in a covered container.
Step
2
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil and add the orzo. Cook 5 minutes. Add the peas and continue to cook for another 4 minutes, until the orzo is cooked through but al dente. Add a ladleful of the cooking water to the pesto, then drain the orzo and peas and toss with the pesto. Serve, passing more Parmesan or Pecorino in a bowl.
- If you have a high-powered hand blender, this is also a good tool for making pesto. Put all of the ingredients except the cheese into a jar, insert the blender and process until smooth. Stir in the cheese.
- Advance preparation The pesto will keep for a week or two in the refrigerator.
Ratings
4
out of 5
558
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Cooking Notes
Mighty Hudson
Still think Pesto Genovese (basil) is vastly superior in this recipe.
Sarah
Added lemon zest and additional S&P. Really fresh and delicious!
Ellen
This dish is subtle, but delicious. I find a full ladle of water is too much, and I use about half.
Crystal
Good - but add in some black pepper or garlic if you need a little more bite to it.
Tricia
Thanks, but your comments reveal that you did not follow the recipe. You made something completely different! That you "took some liberties" with the recipe is an understatement.
DFG
Nice dish. I heeded other reviewers' warnings and was pretty liberal with the salt and pepper and more conservative with the cooking water at the end, which seemed to work well. I also find it deeply unsettling when a recipe calls for a mere 2 (two) cloves of garlic; because I respect myself, I went ahead and used half a head. Would make again.
Kate
So the 1/3 cup pesto is what you use for this recipe, and NOT the remainder you put in the fridge? Some recipes call for an ingredient that has been refrigerated for awhile, and some use the reserved 1/3 cup for garnish afterwards. You need to be specific. You also need to be specific about your ladle of cooking water. My cooking ladle holds almost 2/3 cup...so I'd be adding twice as much water as pesto...is that really the proportion you want? I expect better directions from the Times.
Kale?
Thyme is wonderful with peas. Some fresh thyme is a lovely addition, ground in with the parsley.
Cat Findlater
We enjoyed this with some barbecued marinated lamb cutlets & roast carrots... I think it needs a little extra bite though: perhaps via a squeeze of lemon stirred through before serving? I'm not sure but I will experiment on the next try
tips from me
Add lemon zest**Good to make big batch for the week
Tricia
10 ounces of dried orzo makes a massive amount, enough for at least 6 people as a side dish. No need to parcel out half the pesto for another use: just dump it all in! I agree with others that it needs a little more zip, and next time would try substituting for the parsley with a blend of fresh basil and mint.
Michelle
Family really enjoyed this with a roasted salmon and lime butter. The next day tossed the cold leftover salmon in with the orzo and it was great.
Sharon B
I only made the pesto here, adding the zest of one lemon. I used the whole batch of pesto on 12oz of fettuccine. It was a delight. I have a lot of roasted tomatoes in the freezer so I used some of them. It needed no cheese whatsoever. I’ll certainly make again. It will be great for vegan guests.
Spencer Carlson
Be careful not to add too much salt. We like a lot of salt but this was WAY too much.
dee
This is my go to. I always add a little twist whenever I make it but it’s delicious.
Jonah
This was good but could’ve used something extra, maybe some lemon zest. Threw in some tarragon and mint with the parsley and some pine nuts. Maybe reduce the pea cooking time to retain more sweetness and texture
Mona
Delicious, but I modified a bit. I used plant based Parmesan to make it vegan. Also, I roasted the orzo in about 2 teaspoons of vegan butter before adding the salted water (2 cups of water for each 1 cup of orzo). I wish the instructions had included amount of water to use. NY Times recipes often have poor instructions. I cooked the orzo at a simmer until most of the water was absorbed (about 15 minutes) then added the peas (I used thawed from frozen). Added all the pesto, not half.
FCS
I made this with rice instead of orzo, to be gluten-free. Used frozen peas, barely cooked for fresh taste. However, I added some lemon juice on a whim, which caused the parsley to bleed surreal quantities of inky green-black liquid. Next time I will use zest instead of juice. Perks up the flavor of the dish. I also tripled the recipe for 12 people and I could have fed 20 easily. Gallons too much of everything, especially the garlic. Embarrassing blunders but hopefully helpful to others.
Liz
If you use jarred pesto, how much do you add?
Rob
Made with cannellini beans—good call. Pesto needs more salt, less garlic.
christine
Use entire batch of pesto.Do not add pasta water.Set burrata on top.
Maria
Made this recipe as a salad, added one roasted red pepper, lemon juice and did not add cheese. It is great!
Harsha
This turned out perfect! I added some roasted pistachios to the pesto blend and it tasted delicious! Would definitely make this again! Simple and delicious!
Gregory Hess
Simple and good. You will find yourself craving this, even if it doesn’t knock your socks off the first time. Parsley has much to give, in flavor and nutrition. Let it shine! A lump of butter and some lemon zest if you must, but nothing more.
rebecca
This was way too subtle for us. Bland to the extreme even with more salt, pepper and Parmesan.
Candace
Added a splash of lemon juice and some toasted walnuts to the pesto.
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