Sun-Dried Tomato and Herbed/Cheesed Baked Orzo

Ingredients

• 1 cup orzo pasta
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• salt and pepper
• 2 medium sized shallots
• finely minced
• 1 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
• butter (to dot)
• 1 -2 garlic clove (more or less to taste
• depending on how much you like garlic)
• 2 cups chicken stock (room temp or simmering
• low sodium) or 2 cups broth (room temp or simmering
• low sodium)
• 12 cup cream
• 13 cup chopped sun-dried tomato
• 14 cup minced fresh basil
• 14 cup mined fresh Italian parsley
• 12 cup grated Fontina cheese
• 12 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese (divided
• regular parmesan can be substituted)

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil and butter over medium/high heat in saucepan til hot.
2. Add shallots and cook til translucent, but not brown.
3. Add chopped sun-dried tomatoes.
4. Cook 1 minute more, stirring and moving mixture around constantly.
5. Add garlic, cooking one minute more.
6. Be careful at this point not to burn garlic or all will be ruined.
7. Add 1 cup orzo to saucepan, constantly stirring and toasting the pasta for 1 to 2 minutes.
8. Add chicken broth, and crank heat up to high to bring to a boil.
9. Add salt and pepper for seasoning, being careful not to over-salt, as parmesano reggiano has a high salt content.
10. When boil is reached, cover and reduce to simmer and cover til most of liquid is absorbed.
11. You want SOME liquid to remain.
12. Transfer to a bowl.
13. Add fontina cheese and 1/4 cup parmesan, basil and parsley.
14. Add cream.
15. Stir well.
16. Transfer to 2-quart buttered/greased ramekin or equivalent and cover the top with the mixture of Italian seasoned bread crumbs and remaining 1/4 cup reggiano cheese.
17. Dot top with bits of butter and bake in 375 oven for approximately 30 minutes.
18. Serve immediately, grating more reggiano over dish if desired.