Orzo pesto pasta with grilled chicken

Orzo was a pasta I'd actually never cooked with before but after the success of this largely accidental dish, I will definitely be using it more often.  I have always been meaning to whip a quick pasta salad using orzo but have never found the occasion.  This turned into such a quick, light and super tasty meal for the whole family.  I had some chicken breast in the freezer which was marinating in rosemary and lemon oil so all I had to do was defrost it, cook the orzo and sauté the mushrooms.... so quick.  

I actually made the pesto from scratch here because I had a large bunch of basil on it's last days but you could easily opt for a good quality pre-made pesto.  Not to discourage you, because pesto is one of the easiest things in the world to make.... however I have some quick tips for your pantry to make it even easier.  I always have a container of lightly toasted pine nuts on hand so it is as simple as processing all the ingredients together and adjusting the consistency with olive oil or lemon juice. 

The girls loved the pasta, they couldn't quite get their heads around whether it was rice or pasta but it is so light, it makes a great vehicle for so many flavors.  I will be trying it again with a simple mix of tomatoes and olives and maybe some ripped prosciutto.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 chicken breast, sliced
1.5 cups orzo pasta

3-4 cups chicken stock, (enough to cover pasta by an inch)

rosemary and lemon olive oil, to marinate the chicken piece

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

1 clove garlic, crushed

sea salt and pepper
2 tblspn pesto (see below)

Basil Pesto

3 handfuls fresh basil leaves

1 handful pine nuts, lightly toasted

squeeze of lemon juice

3/4 cup parmesan cheese

olive oil

salt and pepper

Method:

• marinate the chicken breast pieces in rosemary and lemon olive oil for 1-6hrs (or freeze with oil in bag)
• cook orzo in chicken stock, 8-10mins
• cook onions until clear in a little olive oil
• add a knob of butter and saute mushrooms with crushed garlic and season heavily with salt and pepper. cook until they are golden in color
• move to one side of the pan and add chicken pieces
• sear the chicken and saute until cooked through.
• drain the pasta, retaining about 1/2 cup of chicken stock pasta water
• add the cooked orzo and toss thoroughly with the chicken and mushrooms
• add pasta water slowly to loosen as needed
• add basil pesto and stir through until combined
• serve with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and cracked pepper