Italian · Serves 2
with Mozzarella, Zucchini, and Tomatoes
Put away your colander, your jumbo-sized pot, and all of those kitchen doodads: everything here can be prepared in one pan, no draining or straining required. This hearty orzo pasta dish is prepared risotto-style, meaning it’s cooked with only the minimum amount of water needed to make it nicely al dente. Plus, fewer tools means quicker cleanup—can we get an aww yeah?
Preheat broiler to high or oven to 500 degrees. Wash and dry all produce. Trim ends from zucchini, then grate using large holes of a grater. Trim and thinly slice scallions, separating whites from greens.
Heat a large drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat (use an ovenproof pan if you have one). Add sausage and 1 TBSP Italian Seasoning (we’ll use the rest later). Cook, breaking up meat into pieces, until browned and cooked through, 3-5 minutes. Turn off heat; transfer to a large paper-towellined bowl.
Add zucchini, scallion whites, and another large drizzle oil to same pan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring, until tender and zucchini has shrunk by about a third, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl with sausage. Wipe out pan.
Melt 2 TBSP butter in same pan over medium-high heat, then add orzo. Toast, stirring often, until golden, 2-3 minutes. Stir in 3 cups water, stock concentrates, tomatoes, and remaining Italian Seasoning. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until orzo is al dente, about 12 minutes.
Drain any excess liquid from sausage and zucchini, then stir both into orzo in pan. Stir in another 2 TBSP butter until melted. Season with salt and pepper. Turn off heat. (TIP: Transfer contents of pan to a baking dish at this point if your pan is not ovenproof.) Sprinkle mozzarella and panko evenly over pan or dish.
Place pan or dish under broiler— surface should be about 3 inches from heat. Broil until panko is golden brown and mozzarella melts, 2-3 minutes. (TIP: Keep an eye out for any burning.) Remove from broiler, then scatter with scallion greens and divide orzotto between plates or bowls.
From the same drawer
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