Pan fried chicken with a lemony, cheesy orzo!
I love this recipe, its perfect for the transition from Summer to Autumn. Still has those fresh Summer flavours with the courgette & lemon but an Autumnal feel with the delicious cheesy orzo. In my opinion, orzo is totally underrated. So quick and easy to make for a weeknight dinner.
This could of course be adapted to be made veggie by swapping the chicken stock for vegetable stock and using mushrooms! Let me know if you try out the recipe and tag me in your pictures on instagram - @rebeccascookery :)
Cooking Time
15 minutes
Ingredients (Serves 2)
2 x Chicken breasts
150g Orzo
1 x Knorr chicken stock pot
1 x Courgette (grated)
1 x Garlic clove (minced)
1 x Lemon (zest & 2 tbsp juice)
2 x tbsp Mascarpone
20g Parmesan
Basil to serve
Method
1. Wrap the chicken in cling film and using a rolling pin flatten slightly, so it cooks through quicker. Add olive oil to a large frying pan (large enough to hold the orzo too), season the chicken breasts with salt & pepper and add to the pan.
2. Cook the chicken for around 4 minutes each side until cooked through and browned on the outside. While the chicken is cooking, add the orzo to a pan of boiling water with the stock pot.
3. Once the chicken is cooked through, wrap in tin foil to keep warm and set aside.
4. In the same pan add the courgette, season and fry for a couple of minutes. Now add in the garlic, fry until fragrant and then add the lemon juice.
5. Reserve a cup of pasta water before draining the orzo. Now mix the cooked orzo into the courgette.
6. Add the mascarpone, lemon zest and a little pasta water at a time to create a creamy sauce. Mix well until the sauce coats the orzo and add the parmesan.
7. Slice the chicken breasts, plate the orzo and serve with the chicken, black pepper and basil.
