As a new mom, it’s hard to “do it all” – juggling meetings and deadlines at work, spending precious time with my one-year-old, and working my way through an ever-growing to-do list. When the day is over and it’s dinner time, I still have about two working brain cells left to come up with a great meal. I deliberately said “eat” instead of “eat”. I needed a dish that we could all enjoy, rather than having us adults do one thing and the babies do another. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve reached for some pantry staples and made this orzotto.
This recipe comes together using a similar (but simpler) method to making traditional risotto, with less stovetop babysitting involved. This is a perfect meal for my kids. The broccoli slices are small enough to be safe for babies, and the cheesy pasta appeals to little ones That’s enough Ignore the plant-based brassicas that many babies prefer to avoid. Leftover broccoli is for the adults in the room – I like to chop it into florets, season it with olive oil and crushed red pepper flakes, and give it a quick sear under the oven. Then everyone was happy.
If you do plan to serve this dish to a child, be careful to add salt to the orzo only for adults, since adding salt is not recommended for babies. Cool children’s portions to lukewarm and serve hot portions to adults immediately. Try to save enough Orzotto for leftovers as it makes a perfect lunch the next day.
Read more: My kids and I can both eat Cheesy Orzotto for dinner
