Pumpkin Orzo 🎃 yes, it is very inspired in #carbonara but I am not claiming it traditional so my Italian friends don’t come for me 🙈.
Servings: 4
By: Nadia Aidi
Prep 10 minutesmins
Cook 45 minutesmins
Total 55 minutesmins
Ingredients
3-4stripspancetta, or bacon
1large shallot, finely chopped
1large garlic clove, minced
3/4cuppumpkin puree
1/4tspgaram masala
Salt and pepper , to taste
3/4cupparmigiano reggiano, grated
1 1/4cuporzo
1whole egg , plus 1 egg yolk per serving
4sage leaves
Black pepper, to taste
Instructions
First, slice the pancetta into thin strips and crisp up nice and low in a pan, this way you’ll render as much fat as you can and get them crispy. This will take about 10 minutes.
Secondly, remove pancetta from pan and let sit over a paper towel.
Add the shallot and garlic to the pan and let soften at medium heat for 5 minutes. Then, add in pumpkin puree, garam masala and salt/pepper. Cook together for 10 minutes on medium.
Bring water to a boil, salt heavily and cook your orzo until almost al dente.
Then, add the orzo to the pumpkin and simmer for 2-3 minutes adding some pasta water.
In a separate pan add a bit of olive oil, heat up for 1-2 minutes, fry your sage for 1 minute or so until it is slightly browned.
Whisk the egg and parmesan together. Then, temper with some pasta water.
Turn heat off the pasta pan. Then, whisk in the parmesan and egg mixture. Mix super vigorously to get it all creamy.
In the pasta pan, you can poach each individual yolk carefully.
Lastly, top the orzo with the pancetta, yolk, pepper, parmesan and fried sage.