Whole-Wheat Orzo Salad with Broccoli-Pine Nut Pesto

By oldbklady

Ingredients

• Fine-grained sea salt
• 1 1/2 c. whole-wheat orzo
• 5 c. broccoli florets and thinly sliced stems
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2/3 c. pine nuts, toasted
• 1/3 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 c. creme fraiche
• 1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced

Details

Servings 6
Adapted from wholeliving.com

Preparation

Step 1

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season generously with salt, add orzo, and cook according to package instructions. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain well again.

Meanwhile, cook the broccoli. Bring 3/4 cup water to a boil in a large pot. Add a big pinch of salt and stir in the broccoli. Cover and cook for 1 minute until bright green but still slightly crunchy. Drain the broccoli in a strainer and run under cold water to stop the cooking. Drain well and set aside.

Make the pesto: Combine 2 cups of the cooked broccoli, garlic, three-quarters of the pine nuts, Parmesan, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice in a food processor. Drizzle in olive oil and creme fraiche and pulse until smooth.

Toss orzo and remaining cooked broccoli florets with about two-thirds of the broccoli pesto and the lemon zest. Thin with a bit of warm water to desired consistency. Adjust seasoning by adding more salt, lemon juice, or pesto as desired. Fold in avocado. Serve topped with remaining pine nuts.