Herb Orzo with St Tola

This recipe serves two for lunch but can easily be scaled up for more people. Enjoy with a side of simple, sliced radicchio for a bright, fresh crunch.

Ingredients
200 grams dry orzo
70 grams basil leaves + stems, finely chopped
20 grams mint leaves, finely chopped
50 grams unsalted marcona almonds, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt, to taste
60 grams of St Tola, sliced into two rounds
To serve: ½ head of radicchio, thinly sliced

Method

1. In a pot, bring 400ml of water to a boil with a generous pinch of salt. Once boiling, add the dry orzo and simmer until cooked (approximately 8 minutes). Strain the orzo.
2. Using either a mortar and pestle or a food processor, crush and grind together the herbs, marcona almonds, and garlic with the olive oil and a pinch of salt. The result should be a dark green, oily paste.
3. Combine the cooked orzo and herb paste until evenly mixed.
4. To serve, add a slice of St Tola on top of the warm orzo. Then, if you’d like, add an extra drizzle of olive oil over the top and serve with a handful of sliced radicchio on the side.