Orzo is a tiny pasta that looks like large grains of rice. It’s perfect to use in Orzo with Smokey Tomato Vinaigrette. A warm dressing made with charred tomatoes adds smokiness, and with all the fresh basil and Parmesan cheese you’ll feel like you’re at a villa in Tuscany!
I believe it’s no coincidence that basil and tomatoes are in season at the same time. They just seem to work together. This pasta dish is no exception, except you might be surprised how the dressing gets its smokey flavour. Read on for an amazing recipe compliments of Giada De Laurentiis.
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The secret to the getting the smokey flavour in the vinaigrette is charring the tomatoes in a dry hot pan. Smaller tomatoes work best because they typically have the best flavour and you want as much skin as possible to maximize the charred skin. It takes about 10 minutes or so for the tomatoes to get lots of black spots and start to soften. Just toss the tomatoes in, set the heat to about medium and watch them. They actually start moving on their own as the heat molecules start bouncing around. I’m not making this up. Give the pan a shake occasionally to roll the tomatoes around.
Once they’re nicely charred and starting to soften, let them sit to cool slightly. Sorry about the mess left in the pan but believe me, it’s worth it.
Add all the dressing ingredients into a blender or small food chopper. Scrape in the softened tomatoes and any juices left in the pan and give it a good whiz. Giada’s recipe calls for smoked salt but I’ve adapted this recipe to include smoked paprika instead which is much easier to find in stores. I’ve also scaled it down to half of her original recipe which is perfect for 4 people.
Cook the orzo pasta according to the package directions while the tomatoes are cooling. That way you’ll have warm pasta and dressing ready at the same time. Drain the pasta well. Typically you would save pasta cooking water for a saucy pasta dish but in this case you don’t want to water down the dressing. Pour most of the vinaigrette over top, add freshly grated parmesan cheese and stir.
The pasta drinks up the dressing so save a little bit to add right before serving. You can enjoy Orzo with a Smokey Tomato Vinaigrette warm, room temperature or even cold. Top with extra Parmesan cheese and dig in.
Here’s the recipe:
Orzo with Smokey Tomato Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry orzo pasta
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus more for serving
Vinaigrette
- 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
- 1/4 cup packed fresh basil leaves
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp honey
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Char tomatoes in a dry frying pan over medium heat, shaking the pan occasionally to move the tomatoes around. Once the skins have char marks and the tomatoes are softening, remove from heat. Takes approximately 10 minutes.
- Combine basil, vinegar, olive oil, honey, paprika and salt and pepper in a blender or large measuring cup with a pour spout. Add warm tomatoes including any charred bits and juice. Purée until smooth in blender or with immersion blender.
- Meanwhile, cook orzo pasta according to manufacture instructions. Drain well.
- Pour vinaigrette over warm pasta and combine well, reserving a bit of vinaigrette if not serving right away.
- Add rest of vinaigrette right before serving and top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and more pepper if desired.
- Can be served warm or room temperature.
Nutrition
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Thanks for posting this gem! Great way to use up all those little tomatoes. This is a keeper, easy to make in minutes and delicious!
Thanks Roxanne, we love it! In fact I’m making it right now.