Orzo with Cilantro Pesto and Black Beans
Orzo tossed with a zesty cilantro pesto and black beans, topped with tomatoes and avocado. This is a nut and dairy free pesto recipe, although we do include an optional cheese at the end of combining the pasta with the pesto.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 25 mins
- Yield: 5 servings 1x
- Category: main
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cilantro Pesto:
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 cup cilantro
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- pinch red pepper flakes
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
Other ingredients
- 12 ozs orzo pasta
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes
- 14.5 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 avocado, cut into bite sized pieces
- 1/3 cup Mexican cheese such as cotija (optional)
Instructions
- Begin boiling the water to cook the orzo.
- Make the pesto: Combine the garlic cloves, cilantro, lime juice, red pepper flakes and olive oil in a food processor. Puree until the cilantro and garlic are finely chopped and everything is well mixed together. Set aside.
- Cook the orzo according to package instructions. When the orzo pasta is done to your liking, drain and toss immediately with the cilantro pesto.
- Add the black beans to the orzo,and stir to combine. Stir in the cheese, if you are using it. Serve the orzo, topped with a handful of tomatoes and avocado. Enjoy! this orzo with cilantro pesto is very good with a Cerasualo d’Abruzzo.
Notes
- Omit the cheese if you wish to serve this as dairy free, vegan dish.
- When tomatoes aren’t in season, I like to use the best grape tomatoes I can find. They seem to be more flavorful than other options outside of peak tomato season.
- Cut the avocado shortly before serving so it doesn’t turn brown.
Find it online: https://cookingchatfood.com/cilantro-pesto/
