Recipe video above. Risoni - also known as orzo - in a creamy tomato parmesan sauce with juicy slices of seasoned chicken and lots of awesome crispy bits of golden salami! The better bacon - bolder flavour, and it doesn't spit when you're cooking it. :) The addition of chickpeas adds a soft nutty crunch and another layer of texture to this one-pan wonder that's a cosy bowl of deliciousness! Total crowd pleaser.
Prep Time15 minutesmins
Course: Mains
Cuisine: Western
Keyword: chicken and risoni, One Pot Dinner, one pot risoni, orzo recipe
Servings: 4- 5 people
Calories: 623cal
Author: Nagi
Ingredients
1/2tbspolive oil
100g/ 3 oz salami stick, cut into 3mm / 1/8" thick rounds then chopped into small batons (Note 1)
2 x 250g / 8 ozchicken breasts (large), each cut in half horizontally to form 4 thin steaks (Note 2)
Chicken spice mix:
1/2tspcooking salt / kosher salt
1/4tspblack pepper
1/2tspgarlic powder
3/4tsppaprika
1/4tspsage powder(optional)
Creamy tomato parmesan risoni (orzo):
2garlic cloves, finely minced
1/2onion, finely chopped
1/4cupchardonnay or other dry white wine, optional (Note 3)
1/4cuptomato paste
1 1/4cupsrisoni/orzo, uncooked (Note 4)
400g / 14 ozcanned chickpeas, drained (or other beans)
3cupschicken stock, low sodium (or veg stock)
1/2tspcooking / kosher salt
1/4tspblack pepper
3/4cupthickened / heavy cream(low-fat ok)
1/3cupparmesan, finely grated (I use store bought sandy type)
Spice Mix - Mix the ingredients in a small bowl then sprinkle both sides of the chicken.
Crispy salami - Heat the oil in a large non-stick pan over medium high heat. Cook the salami for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until crispy and golden. Remove into a paper towel lined bowl using a slotted spoon, leaving the tasty salami fat in the pan.
Cook chicken - In the same pan, cook the chicken for 3 minutes on each side until dark golden and just cooked through (internal temperature 67°C/153°F). Remove onto a plate and cover loosely with foil to keep warm.
Sauté - Still on medium high, cook the garlic and onion for 1 1/2 minutes until the onion is translucent. Add the wine and let it simmer rapidly for a couple of minutes until mostly evaporated, stirring to dissolve the fond (gold bits) on the base of the pan into the wine.
Risoni (orzo) - Add the tomato paste and stir for 1 minute to cook out the sour raw flavour. Add the risoni and stir to coat in the tomato paste. Add the chickpeas, chicken stock, salt, pepper.
Simmer - Bring to a simmer, then cook for 8 minutes, stirring every minute or so, until the risoni is just about cooked. Lower the heat to medium as it gets thicker so the base doesn't catch.
Cream & spinach - Add the cream, parmesan, spinach and sun dried tomatoes (if using). Stir until the spinach is wilted then remove from the heat. The risoni should be oozy and tender. (Still firm? Note 6)
Finish - Cut the chicken into thick slices. (Bit cool? Note 7) Spoon risoni into bowls. Top with the chicken, sprinkle with lots of crispy salami, parmesan and basil (if using). Dig in!
Notes
1. Bacon and chorizo will both provide similar flavour pops in this dish as well as tasty oil to cook the chicken in.2. Chicken - Skinless, boneless chicken thighs or tenderloins can also be used, around 500 - 600g / 1 - 1.2lb.3. Wine - Deglazing the pan with wine adds a slight edge of extra flavour. But it's still very tasty without.4. Risoni (aka orzo) - Small rice shaped pasta, find it in the pasta aisle. You'll need half a standard 500g/1 lb packet, use the rest for another risoni recipe! Rice etc - Recipe as written won't work with rice, quinoa or dried beans. However, it should work with other very small pasta, like alphabet or star pasta.5. Basil and sun dried tomatoes - these do add an extra sparkle to this dish but don't make a special trip to the store for either because it's 100% great without. I only added them because I had an aging jar of sun dried tomatoes in the fridge and a few limp stalks of basil that needed using.6. Risoni not cooked? Add a splash of hot water and keep cooking. Risoni is so tiny, it cooks really quickly.7. Warming chicken - If the chicken has cooled a bit too much for your taste, plonk it on top of the risoni and leave it for 30 seconds to warm through. Then take big scoops of risoni + chicken to serve into bowls.Leftovers will keep for 3 to 4 days in the fridge. Pasta is not the best for freezing but it does work (3 months). The risoni is really tasty to eat even without the chicken.Nutrition per serving. It's a generous amount!