Description
A light and flavorful dish featuring tender risoni pasta cooked with fresh zucchini, sweet peas, and fragrant basil pesto. This quick and easy recipe balances the freshness of vegetables with the creamy richness of Parmesan, perfect for a satisfying weeknight meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Risoni and Pasta Ingredients
- 2/3 cup risoni
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 1/2 tbsp basil pesto (preferably homemade)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- Black pepper, to taste
Vegetables and Aromatics
- 1 small onion (brown, yellow or white), diced
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 3 cups zucchini, diced
- 1 cup frozen peas, preferably defrosted
Garnish
- Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
Instructions
- Boil Water and Cook Risoni: Place about 8 cups of water in a large saucepan and bring it to a boil. Add the risoni and cook for 4 minutes. Then add the peas and cook for an additional 1 minute. The pasta will be slightly underdone at this point to finish cooking later.
- Reserve Pasta Water and Drain: Scoop out 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water and set aside. Drain the risoni and peas, then set aside until ready to add to the pan.
- Sauté Aromatics: Heat olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the crushed garlic and diced onion, and sauté for 1 minute until they begin to soften and become fragrant.
- Cook Zucchini: Add the diced zucchini to the pan with the onion and garlic. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until the zucchini softens and the onion starts to turn a light golden brown.
- Add Pesto and Combine: Stir in the basil pesto, drained risoni and peas, reserved pasta water, salt, and black pepper. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 1 minute, stirring continuously until the water is absorbed and the pasta finishes cooking.
- Serve: Serve the dish immediately, garnished generously with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Notes
- For best flavor, use homemade basil pesto. You can make it by blending fresh basil, pine nuts, garlic, Parmesan cheese, and olive oil.
- If you prefer, substitute frozen peas with fresh ones when in season for a sweeter flavor.
- Risoni is also called orzo; it’s a small, rice-shaped pasta commonly used in Mediterranean cooking.
- Be careful not to overcook risoni in boiling water as it will cook further when combined in the pan with zucchini and pesto.
- This dish can be customized by adding other vegetables like cherry tomatoes or spinach for added nutrition and color.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keywords: risoni, orzo, zucchini, peas, basil pesto, pasta, vegetarian, Mediterranean, quick dinner
