Bacon & Spinach Orzo With Pesto
"This Bacon & Spinach Orzo with Pesto is a beautiful dish – with vibrant green veg, soft cherry tomatoes and smoky bacon. All combined with pesto and fresh basil leaves. This is a great dish that is super easy to make. Less than 30 minutes – including washing up! As soon as you get the pan on for the bacon you start cooking the Orzo and then after that everything is thrown into one frying pan. It’s also not ‘too’ unhealthy. Incorporating a couple of portions of lush green veg, cherry tomatoes and just enough bacon to give the dish a smoky kick without immense amounts of fat or grease. "
Serves1 Person
Preparation Time10 min
Cooking Time15 min
Cooking MethodSkillet
Ingredients
- 50 gram streaky bacon, cut into small pieces
- 75 gram dried orzo
- 75 gram frozen peas
- 2 cup spinach
- 50 gram cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 tablespoon pesto
- 5 fresh basil leaves
Instructions
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Put a small saucepan of water on a high heat to bring to the boil. Meanwhile add a drizzle of olive oil or a few sprays of light cooking spray to a non-stick frying pan. You won’t need much as the juices from the bacon will release.
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Once the frying pan is hot add the bacon pieces and toss around the pan regularly to cook evenly. You want to cook the bacon for around 10 minutes – until brown and crispy.
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After the bacon has been cooking for 2 minutes add the orzo to the saucepan. Cook the orzo for 4 minutes and then add the peas to the water. Cook for a further 2 minutes and then drain. This is likely a couple of minutes less cooking time than the packet will say, but we are going to add it to the frying pan and cook a little more so you don’t want it to be overdone.
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Add the cherry tomatoes, orzo and peas and spinach to the frying pan. Toss everything together and cook for a further 2-3 minutes, stirring regularly. The tomatoes should be softened and the spinach wilted.
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Stir the pesto and basil leaves through the pan. Season with pepper and salt if you wish. (I don’t think extra salt is needed because of the bacon and pesto which already have quite a bit of salt in). Serve immediately or portion into containers to refrigerate.