Orzotto alla Norcina: a delicious and tasty recipe
Orzotto alla Norcina: a delicious and tasty recipe
Equipment
- Colander
- Bowl
- Frying pan
- Ladle
Ingredients
- 340 g Pearl barley
- 250 g Sausage
- 30 g Dried porcini mushrooms
- 1 l Vegetable broth
- 1/2 glass White wine
- 1 Onions
- 2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
- 40 g Parmesan cheese
- to taste Salt
- to taste Pepper
Instructions
- Rinse the barley under running water for a few moments and drain it in a fine-mesh strainer.
- Soak the dried mushrooms in warm water for about 1 hour.
- Crumble the sausage meat by hand.
- Use a skillet to evenly brown the chopped onion in extra virgin olive oil together with the sausage and mushrooms.
- Add the barley, let it season for a few moments and deglaze with white wine.
- Adjust for salt and pepper.
- Heat the vegetable broth, add a ladleful at a time to the orzo and let it cook for about 30 minutes. Stir often.
- When done, add Parmesan cheese.
- Serve hot, adding a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
A few tips for your Orzotto alla Norcina
You can prepare orzotto with either hulled or pearl barley.
- The former retains most of the nutritional characteristics of whole barley, but you will need to soak it for 6 to 12 hours before using it.
- The latter, on the other hand, does not need to be soaked but loses some of its fiber, minerals, and vitamins during processing.
Pearl barley will save you some time. It is still delicious, and only needs to be briefly rinsed before use.
The classic Norcina-style orzotto is prepared exactly as risotto. Another, simpler recipe suggests to just boil the barley for about 30 minutes, drain it, dress it like a rice salad, then store it in the refrigerator and eat cold!
Orzotto alla Norcina and Extra Virgin Olive Oil: a perfect combination
Extra virgin olive oil is synonymous with healthy and tasty food and will give orzotto an unmistakable touch of flavor.
EVO oil has a lot of good characteristics:
- It adds flavor to any dish without hiding the taste of the other ingredients.
- It is perfect for sautéing and roasting because of its high smoke point.
- It is healthy, because the “good” fats it contains help regulate blood cholesterol levels.
- It is very digestible and, unlike butter, does not affect the liver.
For our recipe we used Il Casolare Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil from olives grown in a natural and controlled environment. Its taste is fruity and it bears the scent of freshly pressed olives, which is ideal for enhancing this dish.
Now you are ready to get all the ingredients and start cooking an Orzotto alla Norcina that will make your whole house smell good!
