Fresh peas and mint from your garden create a lovely summer super with orzo pasta and pecorino romano cheeses.
By Michelle M. Winner
Here in Oregon, every day with sunshine is considered a gift. To dry the pasture for an evening ride. To ripen perfect June strawberries. To warm the river for a whitewater trip. To coax the buds on the trees to set stone fruit. And on my deck looking out to Mt. Hood, to grow the freshest snap peas to use that evening for an inspired supper.
This is a lovely minted Orzo that my husband prepares for summer supper – when he isn’t grilling of course. It is always so much fun to wander out to snip most of the fresh ingredients from your garden no matter how big or small the treasure. 
Early Summer Peas with Minted Orzo and Pecorino Romano
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
Lovely summer pasta with peas.
Ingredients
- 1 box Orzo Pasta or Acini De Pepe
- 2 can low sodium chicken stock
- 8 Tbs unsalted butter
- 1 Tbs chicken base
- 1 tsp fresh cracked pepper
- 1 to 2 cups grated imported Pecorino Romano cheese
- 3/4 to 1 cup finely chopped fresh mint
- 1 cup fresh peas ( you may use peas in the pod or in a pinch frozen baby peas)
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup good dry white wine
- 1/4 cup water or Half and Hal ( increase as as needed)
- salt to taste (prefer Fleur de Gris from World Market)
Instructions
- Melt butter in sauce pan and add the raw pasta.
- Over medium heat gently stir and brown – pasta will turn a golden brown.
- Add the wine and deglaze the pan followed by the chicken stock and base.
- Lower heat to medium low. Let the pasta absorb all of the stock and wine.
- Stir in a 1/4 cup of Half and Half. Keep an eye on it and keep stiring to prevent sticking to the pan.
- If all of the liquid is absorbed before pasta is cooked to your liking, add more water or Half and Half a 1/4 cup at a time and stir.
- When it is done turn off add grated cheese, peas, mint and pepper and stir gently. Again you may add water if needed.
- Taste and adjust seasonings.
- Serve warm, not hot.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
I saw this recipe on Pinterest so I came over and I thought I’d ask – isn’t this actually Israeli couscous? Orzo (what we Greeks call kritharaki) is rice-shaped…although if you make a “risotto” out barley, they call it orzotto…
Hi Stamatia, so glad that you wrote. You are correct. The pasta in the image is Ancini de Pepe, which is listed in the recipe ingredients as interchangeable with orzo. We like to change it up so we offered a choice. It would have been best if I had included that option in the caption. Do try the recipe with whatever you wish- it is fantastic. Please continue to write,I hope that you’ll return often to our beautiful award-winning blog and I thank you so much for your interest and comments friend! I can always learn something from a fellow food lover. Aloha, Michelle