Risoni is another one of the kitchen’s greatest shortcuts. It’s super quick to cook and has a wonderful mouth-feel. Add it to soups or salads, use it as a side dish, or, like here with this creamy salmon risoni, as a cheat’s risotto. If you prefer to keep it vegetarian, you can omit the salmon and load up on other vegetables.

Why do some people say risoni and others say orzo? In Italy, this pasta is labelled risoni, which translates to large grains of rice, which is what the pasta looks like. Orzo is Italian for the word “barley”, which is what the pasta looks like too. This term is used a lot in North America. In Italy, though, they will think you are asking for barley if you ask for orzo.

Mixture will be still be quite liquid when you add the vegetables

The rice dish was really risoni, orzo I was told.
-The Internet

Ingredients

2 fresh salmon fillets (approx 250 grams/ 9") skin on or skin off
½ onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced (I like garlic)
6 ish capers, rinsed
¾ cup chicken stock
¾ cup cream Portions are 1:1:1 stock/cream/risoni
¾ cup dried risoni (orzo)
½ cup frozen peas
handful baby spinach
fresh herbs of your choosing (I used basil & parsley in the photos)
1 tbsp parmesan, grated (can have more)
lemon juice
olive oil
salt, pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 230℃/446℉.
Season salmon with salt and pepper and a little lemon juice. Place on baking paper on baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil and bake for 12 minutes.
While salmon is baking, in large saucepan, fry onion until translucent. Add garlic until fragrant. Then capers.
Add in stock, cream and risoni. Stir to mix. Bring to boil, lower heat and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Don't worry if it looks like there's too much liquid, it will continue to absorb the stock and cream.
Just before 10 minutes is up, add frozen peas, baby spinach, parmesan, lemon juice and herbs. Cook for another minute or so until peas are done and spinach is wilted.
Season and serve with salmon on top. Garnish with more herbs.

If you don't have fresh salmon, you can use tinned. Serve risoni mix into bowls and top with tinned salmon, or stir through the tinned salmon to warm before adding garnish. Of course you can omit the salmon and load with more vegetables for a creamy vegetarian dish.

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Creamy Salmon Risoni (Orzo)