Prawn and tomato orzotto (pasta risotto)

Name: Prawn and tomato orzotto (pasta risotto)
Cook time: 1 h
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 500g large, green, shell-on king prawns (about 8 prawns); 500ml chicken stock; 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 40g butter; 1 small brown onion, diced; 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 250g cherry tomatoes, halved; 2 tbsp tomato paste; ½ tsp dried oregano; 1 cup orzo (risoni); ¼ cup white wine; 1 tsp lemon juice

Danielle Alvarez

February 7, 2025

Prawn and tomato orzotto with pangrattato means date night at home is sorted.William Meppem

Time:30 mins - 1 hourServes:2

As we approach Valentine’s Day, what greater show of affection is there than a beautiful, home-cooked meal? This dish feels elegant and slightly “restauranty”, but it’s super-achievable, even for the novice cook. Pour yourself and your special plus-one a beverage and enjoy making it.

My favourite way to eat this is straight out of the pan, since the heat keeps it nice and saucy. If that feels a little too intimate, just divide into two bowls and serve as usual.

Ingredients

500g large, green, shell-on king prawns (about 8 prawns)
500ml chicken stock
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
40g butter
1 small brown onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
250g cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tbsp tomato paste
½ tsp dried oregano
1 cup orzo (risoni)
¼ cup white wine
1 tsp lemon juice

FOR THE PANGRATTATO

150g white country loaf or sourdough bread, preferably one day old
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

FOR THE GARNISH

2 tbsp chopped parsley
zest of ½ a lemon
bread for scarpetta*

Method

Step 1
Remove heads from the prawns, but reserve them. Peel the shells from the prawns and discard (or reserve to make a prawn stock for future use**). Devein the prawns by making a shallow cut through the back of the prawn from head to tail, removing the black “vein” and discarding. Leave any prawn coral, which is larger and more orangey and has delicious flavour. Chop each prawn into 4-5 pieces and set aside.
Step 2
Pour the chicken stock into a small pot and add ¼ cup of water. Place the pot on the stove, but don’t turn on the heat yet.
Step 3
To make the pangrattato, cut the crusts off the bread and reserve for another use. Place the bread into a food processor and process into breadcrumbs. Some will be quite fine and other pieces still a bit chunky; that’s fine. Heat a small skillet over medium heat, add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil and fry the breadcrumbs for 3-5 minutes until crunchy and golden-brown. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Step 4
In a large, non-stick skillet set over medium-high heat, add the 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 20g of butter. When the pan is hot and the butter has melted, add the prawn heads and fry for about a minute on each side to extract as much prawn flavour as possible. After this, discard the prawn heads (or use them with the shells to make the prawn stock). Fry the diced prawns in the butter for about 2 minutes before also removing them from the pan; set aside to add back in later.
Step 5
At this stage, turn on the chicken stock and bring to a simmer. While it’s heating, add the onion, garlic and cherry tomatoes to the buttery prawn pan and reduce heat to medium. Saute for about 5-7 minutes, until the onion is soft and translucent.
Step 6
Add the tomato paste and oregano and saute for another minute before adding the orzo and tossing to coat in the butter. Pour in the white wine and allow the alcohol to burn off before adding the simmering chicken stock to the pan. Season the whole thing liberally with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer.
Step 7
Continuously stir the pan while the orzo cooks, about 10-12 minutes depending on the brand of pasta used. When the orzo is al dente, add the prawns to the pan and stir to distribute. Taste for seasoning at the end and adjust with salt.
Step 8
Turn off the heat and add the lemon juice and remaining 20g of butter to melt into the dish and give it a silky texture. Feel free to add a tablespoon or two of water to get it to a risotto-type texture.
Step 9
Garnish the orzotto with the pangrattato, parsley and zest. Serve immediately. Mop up the sauce with some good bread.

* “Fare la scarpetta” means “to make the little shoe” – otherwise known as the little pieces of bread used to mop up sauce.

** To make prawn stock, saute the prawn shells and heads in butter until they turn bright orange. Add chopped onion, celery and leek with a bay leaf and cover with cold water. Simmer for 30 minutes, strain and reserve.