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One pot orzo with asparagus, lemon and dill

Here's a simple one pot meal that is great during the Spring, but can be riffed upon during other seasons. The asparagus can be replaced with roughly chopped spinach or Swiss chard, finely diced fennel, bok choy or small broccoli florets – any veg works, as long as it will cook quickly. I love the excessive use of dill in this recipe, but you could use other soft herbs such as parsley, coriander/cilantro, or mint.

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A black skillet filled with cooked orzo pasta mixed with green vegetables on a marble surface next to a textured white towel.

The addition of butter and miso adds a touch of indulgent umami, a hint of interest.

One pot orzo with asparagus, lemon and dill

Serves

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 leek or onion, trimmed and finely sliced
450 g orzo (risoni) or other small pasta such as ditalini, farfalline (gluten free or wheat)
450 g asparagus, woody ends removed and cut into 1.5cm (about ½-inch) pieces
1 liter vegetable stock
zest and juice of 1 lemon, or more to taste
2 tablespoons vegan or regular butter
1 tablespoon miso paste
1 bunch dill, leaves and stem finely chopped
sea salt and black pepper

Instructions

Heat a large, wide pan on medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and leek or onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until tender. Add the orzo (risoni) and stir to coat. Pour in the stock, stir and cover with lid. Cook for 6 minutes, reducing the heat to medium if it bubbles too aggressively, and then check the orzo - it should be slightly soft but not quite done, with still be quite a lot of liquid in the pan. Add the asparagus and drizzle it with olive oil, and a pinch of salt, cover again and cook for 2 minutes, until the asparagus is crisp tender and bright green and the pasta is fully cooked and al dente.
Uncover and add the zest and juice of the lemon, butter, miso paste, dill and stir to melt the butter and miso through the pasta. Taste and season well with sea salt and black pepper, adding more lemon juice if you like. Serve immediately.