This pasta is so good that, when our baby dropped most of it, we ate it off the ground. Orzo I want morezo, is something you will be thinking and saying out loud. While eating it, you find out that Gloria Steinem passed away. The sweet taste of carrot plays off the salty tears flowing down your face. Also, your wife threw away the Oh, Dumplings! chili oil and vinegar combination you were keeping from takeout last night so you have to improvise with balsamic and store-bought chili oil.
Ingredients
- 8 oz orzo
- 8–10 oz Impossible Beef
- 1 1/2–2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup shredded carrot
- 1 1/2–2 cups shredded cabbage
- 5–7 cloves garlic, minced
- 1–2 tbsp store-bought chili oil, or to taste
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar, plus more to taste
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1–1 1/2 cups reserved pasta water
- Olive oil, as needed
- Black pepper, to taste
- Salt, if needed
Instructions
- Cook the orzo in well-salted water until just shy of done. Reserve at least 1 1/2 cups pasta water, then drain.
- Meanwhile, heat a wide skillet over medium-high heat with a little olive oil. Add the Impossible Beef and let it brown deeply in spots before breaking it up and stirring.
- Add the shredded cabbage and carrot. Cook for 3–4 minutes, until softened but not completely limp.
- Add the garlic and cook for 30–60 seconds, just until fragrant.
- Add the cherry tomatoes and cook for 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they soften, burst, and become jammy.
- Stir in the chili oil and balsamic vinegar. Pour in the white wine, scrape up the browned bits, and let the wine reduce by about half.
- Add the soy sauce, cooked orzo, and about 3/4 cup pasta water. Toss over medium-high heat for 2–3 minutes, until the sauce turns glossy and clings to the orzo.
- Add more pasta water a splash at a time until the orzo is loose and saucy. It will continue absorbing liquid as it sits, so err on the side of wetter than you think you need.
- Finish with black pepper. Taste before adding any extra salt, since the soy sauce and Impossible Beef are already salty.
GLORIA STEINEM IS A DOG WHISTLE 🐶