Orzo Pasta with Chicken and Pesto
Orzo pasta with chicken and pesto is a comforting main course where tender chicken breasts, rice-shaped orzo and carrots cook together in the Thermomix TM7. The machine chops garlic and basil, grates Parmesan and blends a fresh homemade pesto, delivering a creamy, fragrant one-bowl dinner with minimal washing up.
About this recipe
Orzo pasta with chicken and pesto in the Thermomix TM7 is the kind of quick weeknight dinner recipe that solves the eternal question of what to cook when time is short. Orzo, the rice-shaped pasta, cooks directly in the mixing bowl with chicken stock paste and carrots, absorbing every bit of flavour while the chicken breasts stay wonderfully tender above it. Meanwhile, the all-in-one kitchen machine grates the Parmesan cheese, chops the garlic clove and blitzes fresh basil leaves with pine nuts and olive oil into a vibrant green pesto in seconds. The result is a creamy, aromatic one-bowl meal where the nutty pesto clings to every grain of orzo. It is an ideal recipe for beginners and experienced cooks alike, since the TM7 handles the chopping, grating and cooking while you simply add ingredients. Serve it straight from the bowl with extra Parmesan for a family dinner that tastes like an Italian trattoria.
Preparation tips
- Cut the chicken breasts into even pieces before steaming so they cook at the same rate as the orzo below. Uneven chunks lead to dry edges while the centre stays underdone, so aim for similar thickness throughout.
- Reserve a splash of the cooking liquid from the orzo before draining. Stirring it through with the basil pesto loosens the pasta and helps the sauce coat every grain of orzo beautifully.
- Toast the pine nuts in a dry pan before adding them to the pesto. Their nutty flavour deepens considerably, and you can set a few aside to sprinkle over the finished orzo for extra crunch that children love.
- Make the pesto up to two days in advance and store it in a jar with a thin layer of olive oil on top. This keeps the fresh basil vividly green and ready to stir into the hot orzo on a busy evening.
Recipe variations
- Vegetarian version: replace the chicken breasts with white beans or chickpeas and use vegetable stock paste instead of chicken stock paste. The creamy orzo and homemade basil pesto remain the stars, and the meal still comes together in one bowl.
- Festive autumn variation: swap the carrots for roasted butternut squash and add crispy bacon or pancetta on top. A squeeze of lemon and extra grated Parmesan just before serving makes this orzo dinner worthy of a weekend gathering.
Thermomix TM7 Benefits
- Precise weighing - The integrated scale of the Thermomix weighs the orzo and chicken stock paste directly in the bowl, saving dirty measuring cups. [Built-in scale]. [Precision Control]
- Fresh pesto in seconds - The TM7 chopsping function blitzes basil leaves, garlic and pine nuts into vibrant pesto faster than a food processor. [Time saving]. [Time Savings]
- Perfect grating - The Thermomix grates the Parmesan cheese finely so it melts evenly through the warm orzo. [Multi-functionality]. [Multi-Function]
- Gentle steaming - The Varoma of the TM7 steams the chicken breasts above the orzo, keeping them succulent while the pasta cooks. [Multi-functionality]. [Multi-Function]
- Even cooking - The Thermomix heats and stirs the orzo and carrots hands-free, so nothing sticks to the bottom of the bowl. [Hands-free]. [Hands-Free]
Ingredients
- Parmesan cheese
- pine nuts
- garlic clove
- fresh basil leaves
- olive oil
- carrots
- leeks
- olive oil
- chicken breasts, skinless
- chicken stock paste