Sungold Tomato Orzotto

If you spot a carton or two of sungold tomatoes at the market, you have to take them home and make this one-pot orzo pasta, STAT. The sweet, citrusy flavour bombs simmer with shallots and garlic into jammy, golden perfection. Orzo then cooks slowly in the sauce, absorbing all that flavour along the way, before being finished with a generous helping of butter and a splash of white balsamic vinegar. It has all the silky creaminess of risotto, in a fraction of the time, and is certifiably delicious.

Equipment

Here's everything you need to make this sungold orzotto at home:

• large braiser or dutch oven
• immersion or standup blender
• chef's knife
• cutting board

Get the full ingredients list and instructions below!

Cooking Tips

1. If you can't find sungold tomatoes, cherry or grape will also work. But the true beauty of this dish is in using fresh, peak-summer tomatoes that are bursting with flavour. You might need to adjust the butter and vinegar quantities depending on the variety of tomato you use, so make sure you're tasting and adjusting as you cook.
2. White balsamic is used to balance the richness of the butter by upping the acidity. If you don't have white balsamic, white wine vinegar or lemon will also work, but these alternatives are lower on the pH scale, so it's best to start with less than the recipe calls for and adjust as you go!
3. Serve it with...Mediterranean beef skewers, lemon-y sheet pan chicken or panko-crusted salmon.

Sungold Tomato Orzotto

5 from 1 vote

A one-pot orzo pasta to highlight the beauty of summer tomatoes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Servings: 4

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 500 g sungold tomatoes
• 2 medium shallots
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 cup orzo
• 4 tablespoon unsalted butter
• ½ cup grated parmesan
• 1 teaspoon white balsamic vinegar
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 10 small basil leaves, removed from stems
• salt I'm using Diamond Crystal Kosher

Method

 

1. Cut 500g sungold tomatoes in halves. Thinly slice 2 medium shallots and 5 cloves garlic.
2. In a dutch oven heat ¼ cup olive oil on medium. Once hot, add in sliced shallots and garlic. Cook until soft but not brown, about 5 minutes. When the shallots and garlic are soft, add in the halved tomatoes and season with a generous pinch of salt. Continue cooking on medium-high until the tomatoes burst. You can use a wooden spoon or spatula to help them along!
3. Turn off the heat and add 2 cups water to the cooked tomatoes. Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth. Once smooth, add in 1 cup orzo and another 1 cup water. Season again with another generous pinch of salt. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook on low, while continuously stirring, until the orzo is al dente and the sauce has thickened. The pasta might stick to the pot as the sauce thickens, so keep stirring to prevent burning.
4. Mix in 4 tablespoon unsalted butter, ½ cup grated parmesan and 1 teaspoon white balsamic vinegar. Mix until well combined — the sauce should be thick enough that a line made with a spoon through the pasta holds its shape and does not close for 3-4 seconds. Taste and adjust seasoning — it should be creamy and bright.
5. Serve with fresh basil leaves and a drizzle of olive oil.

Notes

If using a large braiser, transfer the cooked tomatoes to a blender and pulse until smooth. Beware that a blender with hot contents can explode! I like to remove the lid plug and cover the hole with a kitchen towel, but proceed with caution!