How to make orzotto with blue cheese, pine nuts tenderstem royale

Orzotto with blue cheese, pine nuts and tenderstem

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes

Serves: 4 as a starter; 2 as a main with leftovers

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
250g orzo
500ml vegetable stock
1 tablespoon olive oil
180g tenderstem royale
50g pine nuts
100g blue cheese, crumbled
½ lemon juice and zest
100g rocket, roughly chopped
Extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper and sea salt to taste 

Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan. Mix the garlic, shallots, orzo and vegetable stock in a roasting tin. Rub the tenderstem royale with the olive oil, then arrange in a single layer over the orzo. Scatter with the pine nuts, then transfer to the oven to bake for 20 minutes.

Once baked, remove the tenderstem royale from the roasting tin. Add the remaining ingredients to the roasting tin, gently mixing in the crumbled blue cheese, lemon juice and chopped rocket, along with a good glug of extra virgin olive oil.

Taste and adjust the lemon juice and salt as needed, season with freshly ground black pepper, then transfer to serving plates and scatter over the roasted tenderstem royale.

Top tip: as with all dishes, do taste and adjust the texture and seasoning on the orzo before serving – if it looks a bit dry, add a little more oil and vegetable stock; if the flavour needs pepping up, add more lemon juice – it’s all down to individual taste. This is excellent served cold. Save the leftovers and have it the next day for lunch.

Recipe from tenderstem.co.uk