Smoked pancetta, wild mushroom & Stilton orzotto

Name: Smoked pancetta, wild mushroom & Stilton orzotto
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 30 g Cooks’ Ingredients Wild Mushrooms; 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus 2 tbsp to garnish; 77 g pack Cooks’ Ingredients Beechwood Smoked Pancetta; 400 g orzo; 1 echalion shallot, finely diced; 3 clove/s garlic, crushed; 3 sprig/s thyme, leaves; 2 tbsp tomato purée; 100 ml Noilly Prat Original Dry French Vermouth (or other dry white vermouth or wine); 200 g frozen Essential Petits Pois; 160 g No.1 Colston Bassett Blue Stilton, cut into wafer thin shards, or crumbled

Ed Smith's comforting orzo dish makes the most of umami-rich mushrooms and is enhanced by smoky pancetta and salty Stilton, with a pop of sweetness from peas.

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Serves4
CourseMain meal
Prepare10 mins
Cook25 mins
Total time35 mins

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30g Cooks’ Ingredients Wild Mushrooms
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus 2 tbsp to garnish
2 x 77g pack Cooks’ Ingredients Beechwood Smoked Pancetta
400g orzo
1 echalion shallot, finely diced
3 clove/s garlic, crushed
3 sprig/s thyme, leaves
2 tbsp tomato purée
100ml Noilly Prat Original Dry French Vermouth (or other dry white vermouth or wine)
200g frozen Essential Petits Pois
160g No.1 Colston Bassett Blue Stilton, cut into wafer thin shards, or crumbled

Put the mushrooms into a heatproof bowl, pour over 300ml just-boiled water, then cover and leave to rehydrate for 15-20 minutes.
Place a wide sauté pan or saucepan over a medium heat. Add 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil and the pancetta, then fry for 7 minutes or so, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, bring a saucepan of heavily salted water to the boil. Add the orzo and cook for 7-8 minutes, until just tender. Drain through a fine sieve, reserving some pasta water.
After 7 minutes cooking time, the pancetta should be starting to colour and much of the fat will have rendered. Add the shallot and cook for 3-4 minutes more, reducing the temperature a little if it looks like it will burn. Add the garlic and half the thyme, then mix and cook for 1 minute more.
Stir in the tomato purée, add the vermouth (or wine) and allow to boil and reduce for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and their stock, avoiding the grit at the base of the container.
Mix in the orzo. Add the petits pois and a ladle of reserved pasta water. Simmer gently for 2-3 minutes, shuffling occasionally and adding more water if necessary, so the orzotto is loose and the peas are cooked and piping hot throughout. It should flow over a plate, rather than sit stiffly.
Add the remaining thyme, check for seasoning and add more salt or pepper (or both) to taste, if needed – bear in mind the Stilton is salty. Divide between plates or shallow bowls. Add 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, then sprinkle thin slices of Stilton over the top and serve.

Typical values per serving when made using specific products in recipe