I sometimes keep a stock of things in my fridge that are handy to have around when I need to whip up something quickly without a trip to the shop. Things like cubed ham, cheese, frozen petit pois, pancetta and chorizo that have a long shelf life in the fridge are great to keep on hand for such emergencies. This recipe is one of those dishes.
I can usually find smoked ham cubes at my local Waitrose and they taste great in a pasta dish, but at other times I might have cubes of ham in my fridge or freezer leftover from a ham I roasted. Since there are only two of us a lot of times, I will cut leftover roast ham into cubes and pop it into the freezer. It’s great in pasta also or for dipping in baked camembert or fondue, mixed into a potato salad or even stirred into scrambled eggs.
They say we eat with our eyes as much as with our stomachs and the vibrant pink and green combination from this dish really makes it appealing. It sure is pretty, especially considering how easy it is. It tastes great too!
If you’re not comfortable cooking with wine, you can absolutely omit it from this recipe. The alcohol cooks off while reducing, but if you’re not into it, that’s fine – just skip that bit. It will still be nice, but there’s a certain flavour that comes from the wine so if it doesn’t bother you then definitely include it.
Serves 2 as a main or 4 as a starter
Ingredients
- Knob of butter
- 2 tablespoons garlic oil
- 180g of chopped ham (any ham, smoked, unsmoked, honey roasted – doesn’t matter)
- 200g frozen petit pois
- 150ml dry white wine
- Zest & juice of 1 lemon
- Leaves from a few sprigs of fresh thyme
- 300g orzo pasta
- 700ml of chicken or vegetable stock
- Good grinding of fresh black pepper
- Handful of Parmesan cheese
Method
- In a large, deep casserole or frying pan that has a lid melt the butter together with the garlic oil over medium-high heat. When it starts to sizzle add the chopped ham and turn it about in the buttery oil with a wooden spoon for a minute or two to help it heat through.
- Toss in the frozen petit pois and turn them about in the pan with the wooden spoon. Cook and stir until they loose their frosty look.
- Pour in the white wine and give it a stir. Cook until it reduces significantly to a thick, syrupy consistency. (If you’re not using wine, skip this step.)
- Add the zest & juice of the lemon and the thyme leaves. Stir to combine before pouring in the orzo pasta. Toss the pasta about in the pan until every last little rice shaped piece is coated with what’s in the pan.
- Pour in the stock, increase the heat to high and stir to combine. Once it comes to the boil clamp on the lid, reduce the heat and cook for about 12 minutes, stirring once or twice during the cooking time.
- The pasta is ready when it has absorbed most of the cooking liquid and is cooked to the texture you desire. I like mine a bit al dente, but if you’d like yours softer, carry on cooking and add some more water or stock if it needs it. I find 12 minutes just about perfect.
- When the pasta is cooked to the doneness you prefer, stir in a handful of grated Parmesan cheese and season it with plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Serve hot.