I love watching plants grow inside and allowing their beautiful vibrant colors to fill up a room. Unfortunately, I do not have a green thumb, so I do not have as many plants in my home as I would like. As I have mentioned before when talking about my indoor plants, although I give it my all, most of them inevitably die.
Last year for Mother’s day, my cousins gifted me a lemon tree. I had just renovated my kitchen, and the new tree complemented the theme. Loving lemons the way I do, it was one of the most thoughtful gifts I had ever received. My joy and appreciation was quickly overtaken by fear, I was scared to death I would kill my tree.
Much to my surprise and careful nurturing, that lemon tree is still living in a bright sunny place in my kitchen and I have even gotten some lemons from it! To this day, I love my lemon tree and give it all the attention and care it needs.
When I saw this recipe, I couldn’t wait to try it so I could use one of the lemons from my beautiful tree in it.
This dish is as easy and comforting as it gets. The orzo is first toasted to a nutty goodness and then cooked in chicken broth. It absorbs the flavor of the broth, so it comes out delicious and tender. The peas give it a hint of sweetness and beautiful color. The lemons deliver the right amount of twang and the gruyere cheese adds a savory wholesomeness. The result is a mouthwatering, creamy pasta dish everyone will love.
This recipe will serve 4-6 people who will devour this dish of hearty, scrumptious perfection.
Ingredients for Lemon Orzo with Gruyere and Peas
2 cups dry orzo pasta
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
4 cups chicken broth
4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed and chopped
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 lemon
1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed
1 cup grated gruyere cheese
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
In a skillet over medium heat add the olive oil.
When heated, add the orzo and cook, stirring occasionally until toasted, about 60 seconds.
Add the onions and cook until translucent, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
Add garlic, cook for one minute, stirring occasionally.
Pour in broth, thyme and lemon zest.
Bring to a boil, cover, and turn heat down to a simmer.
Cook for 20-30 minutes, or until the orzo has absorbed the broth and is tender.
Remove the lid and stir in the lemon juice and peas.
Cook until the peas are bright green.
Add the gruyere cheese, salt and pepper.
Serve immediately.
It’s that simple!
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