Cooking with risoni

While it might look like large-grained rice, risoni is an Italian pasta variety often used in soups, stews and braises.

Also known as 'orzo', risoni (which translates to 'rice fields') is frequently, and tragically, overlooked when stocking up on pasta, with photos famously showing supermarket pasta shelves stripped of all but risoni during the crazed stockpiling period of early 2020.

Orzo has many delicious applications beyond traditional minestrone and, cooked to a toothsome al dente, makes a versatile addition to your pasta arsenal.

Some of our favourite applications include:

Soaking dried porcini mushrooms in boiling water, then combining the strained steeping liquid and rehydrated mushrooms with semi-cooked risoni, porcini powder, thyme, pepper and parmesan, and baking until liquid has been fully absorbed

Stirring risoni through a rich cherry tomato sauce filled with fried meatballs, and baking until pasta has cooked

Replacing macaroni for a delicious 'risoni and cheese' barbecue side dish Combine diced tomatoes and cucumber, sliced olives, basil, risoni and quality extra virgin olive oil to make a vibrant pasta salad

Stuff capsicums with a mix of risoni, herbs and semi-dried tomatoes, and bake until capsicums are soft

Replace rice with risoni in a seafood-packed paella, flavoured with saffron, paprika and sherry vinegar

Make a lemony chicken risotto with risoni instead of rice Bake cauliflower, béchamel and risoni together into a gratin

Risoni's diminutive size makes it easy to incorporate into countless dishes, adding texture and flavour without adding too much bulk.

I Due Pastori's risoni is made from 100% durum wheat, and is authentically air dried, ensuring its nutritional value remains in tact and making it easy to achieve that perfect al dente texture.

Buy I Due Pastori Risoni from our online store for delivery to anywhere in Australia.