Toasted Orzo Pilaf with Plant-Based Meatballs, Fennel, and Orange
By America's Test KitchenPublished on January 31, 2022
Time
1¼ hours
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
½ cup panko bread crumbs 2 tablespoons water 1¼ teaspoons baharat, divided¾ teaspoon table salt, divided⅛ teaspoon pepper 12 ounces plant-based ground meat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided1 fennel bulb, ¼ cup fronds chopped, stalks discarded, bulb halved, cored, and chopped fine2 garlic cloves, mincedPinch red pepper flakes 1¼ cups orzo 2 cups vegetable broth ½ cup dry white wine ¼ cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped¼ cup shelled pistachios, toasted and chopped1 teaspoon grated orange zest, plus orange wedges for serving
Before You Begin
If baharat is unavailable, substitute a combination of ¾ teaspoon cumin, ¼ teaspoon pepper, ¼ teaspoon ground coriander, ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon, and ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves.
Instructions
- Stir panko, water, ¾ teaspoon baharat, ¼ teaspoon salt, and pepper in large bowl until evenly combined. Break ground meat into small pieces and add to bowl with panko mixture. Gently knead with your hands until mixture is well combined. Using your moistened hands, pinch off and roll meat mixture into 1½-inch meatballs. (You should have 12 meatballs.) Transfer meatballs to plate and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes or up to 24 hours.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add meatballs and cook until well browned all over, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer meatballs to large plate.
- Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add fennel bulb and remaining ½ teaspoon salt and cook until softened and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic, pepper flakes, and remaining ½ teaspoon baharat and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add orzo and cook, stirring frequently, until orzo is lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in broth and wine and bring to boil. Nestle meatballs into skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until orzo is tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in olives, pistachios, and orange zest and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with fennel fronds and serve with orange wedges.
Time
1¼ hoursYield
Serves 4Ingredients
½ cup panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons water
1¼ teaspoons baharat, divided
¾ teaspoon table salt, divided
⅛ teaspoon pepper
12 ounces plant-based ground meat
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 fennel bulb, ¼ cup fronds chopped, stalks discarded, bulb halved, cored, and chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, minced
Pinch red pepper flakes
1¼ cups orzo
2 cups vegetable broth
½ cup dry white wine
¼ cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped
¼ cup shelled pistachios, toasted and chopped
1 teaspoon grated orange zest, plus orange wedges for serving
Ingredients
½ cup panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons water
1¼ teaspoons baharat, divided
¾ teaspoon table salt, divided
⅛ teaspoon pepper
12 ounces plant-based ground meat
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 fennel bulb, ¼ cup fronds chopped, stalks discarded, bulb halved, cored, and chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, minced
Pinch red pepper flakes
1¼ cups orzo
2 cups vegetable broth
½ cup dry white wine
¼ cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped
¼ cup shelled pistachios, toasted and chopped
1 teaspoon grated orange zest, plus orange wedges for serving
Ingredients
½ cup panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons water
1¼ teaspoons baharat, divided
¾ teaspoon table salt, divided
⅛ teaspoon pepper
12 ounces plant-based ground meat
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 fennel bulb, ¼ cup fronds chopped, stalks discarded, bulb halved, cored, and chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, minced
Pinch red pepper flakes
1¼ cups orzo
2 cups vegetable broth
½ cup dry white wine
¼ cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped
¼ cup shelled pistachios, toasted and chopped
1 teaspoon grated orange zest, plus orange wedges for serving
Why This Recipe Works
Adapting a favorite test kitchen recipe for Greek-inspired lamb meatballs and orzo, we replace the lamb with—you guessed it!—plant-based meat. It is milder in flavor than rich, grassy-tasting lamb; here that quality works to the pilaf's advantage, letting the delicate nuances of the fennel and orange zest come through. With the addition of the Middle Eastern spice blend baharat to the meatballs, the pilaf becomes a striking fusion of Greek and Middle Eastern flavors. Panko bread crumbs stirred into the mix act as a panade to keep the meat juicy. After quickly browning the meatballs, we nestle them in the simmering orzo to finish cooking. The crunch from chopped pistachios sprinkled over the pilaf is a welcome textural contrast.
Before You Begin
If baharat is unavailable, substitute a combination of ¾ teaspoon cumin, ¼ teaspoon pepper, ¼ teaspoon ground coriander, ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon, and ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves.
Instructions
- Stir panko, water, ¾ teaspoon baharat, ¼ teaspoon salt, and pepper in large bowl until evenly combined. Break ground meat into small pieces and add to bowl with panko mixture. Gently knead with your hands until mixture is well combined. Using your moistened hands, pinch off and roll meat mixture into 1½-inch meatballs. (You should have 12 meatballs.) Transfer meatballs to plate and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes or up to 24 hours.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add meatballs and cook until well browned all over, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer meatballs to large plate.
- Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add fennel bulb and remaining ½ teaspoon salt and cook until softened and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic, pepper flakes, and remaining ½ teaspoon baharat and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add orzo and cook, stirring frequently, until orzo is lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in broth and wine and bring to boil. Nestle meatballs into skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until orzo is tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in olives, pistachios, and orange zest and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with fennel fronds and serve with orange wedges.
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