Orzo with Asparagus and Edamame Ricotta
Hopping on the pasta train today with this orzo, asparagus, and edamame ricotta bowl 🤤💚. This bowl is bursting with a garlicky lemon flavor from the edamame ricotta that truly is the star of the show. I’ve never tried making edamame ricotta before, but I’m glad I did. Not only is it delicious, it has one of my favorite legumes... edamame! This works great for anyone who is dairy and nut-free. The asparagus adds a little bit of texture and crunch while the orzo is simple, yet balances out the rest of the bowl 🙌.
This bowl offers more than just intense flavors though. For starters, it’s a whole food plant based meal with a ton of nutrients 🙌 especially from the edamame. Edamame is an excellent source of protein, is high in fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, including folate, selenium, potassium and magnesium and also contains all 9 essential amino acids that our bodies can’t make ourselves. Did you know that one cup of edamame has about 14 grams of protein 🤯. Pretty crazy, right? And yet, some wonder where I get my protein 🤔😆. Hope you enjoy it!
Total Time:
45 - 60 minutes including prep
Ingredients:
For the Edamame Ricotta
Produce
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup (30g) packed fresh basil leaves
Oils and Vinegars
1 tsp olive oil
Baking and Spices
1 tsp salt
Other
1 (14oz/400g) frozen shelled edamame
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup vegetable broth (plus more if needed)
For the Pasta
Produce
1 cup (115g) shallots, thinly sliced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound (455g) asparagus, tips trimmed, stems cut into 1/2 inch pieces
Basil leaves for garnish
Oils and Vinegars
3 Tbsp walnut or coconut
Baking and Spices
1 tsp salt
Fresh ground pepper
Other
1 pound orzo
1 cup vegetable broth
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
Directions:
Make the ricotta: place the garlic and basil in a food processor and pulse to chop. Add the rest of the ricotta ingredients and blend until smooth making sure you scrape down the sides to ensure everything gets blended. Add more broth if it seems too thick. Set aside until ready to use.
Make the pasta: Boil the orzo according to the package until al dente.
Preheat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Sauté the shallots in the oil with a pinch of salt until translucent, about 3 minutes.
Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add the asparagus, salt and black pepper to taste, stirring often until softened. Add the vegetable broth to deglaze the pan.
Add the pasta and lemon juice to the sauce and toss to coat.
Serve in a bowl with 3 dollops of ricotta and basil leaves for garnish. Enjoy!
*This recipe was made with slight variations from the