Orzo all' arrabbiata with burrata

Traditionally all’ arrabbiata is eaten with penne, but I think we can collectively agree that penne is the worst pasta shape there is and that it should be avoided when possible. There’s absolutely no reasonable ground for this aversion against penne, but it just is an inferior shape, I don’t know what to tell you. I feel strongly about this but I do not have the numbers to back me up. Orzo is a fantastic substitute, and to be fair anything that will be topped with this amount of burrata would taste delicious. Maybe even penne.

Ingredients #

Ingredients for 2

• 200gr Orzo
• 425ml can crushed tomatoes (this is a very simple recipe so good tomatoes are key, I used Mutti datterini)
• 2 teaspoons dried chili flakes
• 4 garlic cloves
• Olive oil
• Black pepper
• Salt
• Parmigiano Reggiano
• Burrata (we may or may not have eaten a whole burrata per person, I’ll leave it up to you to decide if you’re feeling that vibe)

Method #

1. Heat up a generous amount (more than you think you need) of olive oil in a large skillet. Finely mince the garlic cloves and fry them in the oil together with the dried chili flakes until fragrant, maybe a minute.

2. Add the dried orzo to the pan, and toast it together with the garlic for a few minutes. Once the orzo is starting to get slightly translucent around the edges add the can of crushed tomatoes, then fill the can up with water and add that to the pan as well.

3. Season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and stir the orzo until all liquid has been absorbed and the pasta is cooked through. This will take about 10/15 minutes, but the only way to know if it’s done is to taste!

4. Once the orzo is cooked al dente, grate an irresponsible amount of parm on top, and stir it through. Taste to see if it needs additional salt.

5. Plate the pasta, and top it with burrata (however much you think you deserve today), olive oil and some more freshly ground pepper.

She’s spicy, she’s sweet, she’s very VERY cheesy. Almost like a caprese salad but with more carbs? So more better?