Vodka Tomato Orzo with Burrata and Parmesan Pesto

The orzo cooks right in the sauce, drinking up a tomato-vodka base made creamy with coconut cream and seasoned with a touch of coconut aminos for depth. Once it's done, a thick blanket of bright green basil-Parmesan pesto covers most of the surface, then a whole ball of burrata goes on top, torn open so the creamy centre spills out. A good drizzle of your best olive oil finishes it. Serve it in a wide metal bowl and it looks exactly like the kind of thing that breaks the internet. The contrasts here do most of the work: hot sauce, cool burrata, punchy pesto. Don't stir everything together at the table. Let each person break into the burrata themselves and drag it through the orzo as they eat.

Recipe details

Yield
4 people
Prep time
30 minutes
Cook time
35 minutes
Total time
55 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 cups (packed) Fresh basil, leaves picked, stems discarded (for the pesto)
  • ½ cup Parmesan, finely grated (use a good block Parm and grate it yourself; pre-grated is too dry)
  • 2 cloves Garlic, peeled (for the pesto)
  • 1 tbsp Lemon juice, freshly squeezed (for the pesto)
  • 4 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil (for the pesto; use the good stuff here)
  • ¼ tsp Fine sea salt (for the pesto)
  • 3 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil (for the sauce)
  • 1 large Yellow onion, finely diced
  • 6 cloves Garlic, minced
  • 3 tbsp Tomato paste
  • ¾ tsp Chili flakes (adjust to your heat preference)
  • ⅓ cup Vodka (use any plain vodka; the alcohol cooks off)
  • 1 (28 oz) can Crushed canned tomatoes
  • 3 cups Vegetable stock (check the label is soy-free)
  • 1 cup Coconut cream (from a well-shaken can; not coconut milk)
  • 2¼ cups Dried orzo pasta
  • 1 tbsp Coconut aminos (adds depth without soy)
  • to taste Fine sea salt (for finishing the sauce)
  • 4 balls (about 4 oz / 115 g each) Fresh burrata, brought to room temperature for 20 minutes before serving (one ball per serving; look for the freshest date you can find)
  • 4 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil (for drizzling over the burrata; use your best bottle)
  • a small handful Fresh basil leaves (to scatter on top when serving)

Instructions

  1. Take 4 balls (about 4 oz / 115 g each) fresh burrata out of the fridge and set them on the counter. They need about 20 minutes at room temperature before serving so the centre is soft and creamy, not cold and firm.
  2. Make the pesto. Finely grate ½ cup (50 g) Parmesan. Add 2 cups (50 g) packed fresh basil leaves, 2 peeled garlic cloves, the grated Parmesan, 1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice, 4 tbsp (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, and ¼ tsp (1.5 g) fine sea salt to the food processor. Pulse until you have a thick, cohesive paste, stopping to scrape down the sides once or twice. Taste and adjust salt or lemon. You want it a little thicker than a typical drizzleable pesto since it will be spread as a blanket layer. Scrape into a small bowl and set aside.
  3. Finely dice 1 large yellow onion. Set near the stove.
  4. Set the large deep skillet over medium heat and add 3 tbsp (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil. Once the oil shimmers, add the diced onion and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 8 to 10 minutes. The onion should smell sweet and look almost jammy at the edges.
  5. While the onion cooks, mince 6 cloves garlic. Set aside.
  6. Push the onion to the edges of the pan and add 3 tbsp (48 g) tomato paste to the centre. Let it fry in the oil for 2 minutes, stirring it against the pan. It should darken slightly and smell toasty. Then add 6 cloves garlic, minced and ¾ tsp (1.5 g) chili flakes and stir everything together. Cook for another minute until the garlic is fragrant.
  7. Pour in ⅓ cup (80 ml) vodka and stir, scraping up any bits stuck to the pan. Let it bubble and reduce for 2 minutes so the alcohol cooks off.
  8. Add 1 (800 g) can crushed tomatoes, 3 cups (720 ml) vegetable stock, 1 cup (240 ml) coconut cream, and 1 tbsp (15 ml) coconut aminos. Stir well and bring to a gentle simmer over medium-high heat.
  9. Pour in 2¼ cups (400 g) dried orzo. Stir to submerge it in the sauce, then reduce the heat to medium. Cook, stirring every 2 to 3 minutes so the orzo doesn't clump or stick to the bottom, for 12 to 14 minutes. The orzo is ready when it is tender but still has a tiny bit of bite, and the sauce has thickened to coat it richly. If it looks too thick before the orzo is done, splash in a little more stock or water.
  10. Take the pan off the heat. Taste the orzo and add fine sea salt as needed. Let it sit for 2 minutes. It will thicken a touch more as it rests.
  11. Spoon the orzo into 4 wide metal or steel serving bowls. Working quickly while the orzo is still hot, spread the pesto generously across most of the surface of each bowl using the back of a spoon. You want a thick, even blanket of green covering the orzo, not a swirl or a dot. Place one ball of burrata in the centre of each bowl, then tear it open gently so the creamy interior spills out over the pesto. Drizzle 1 tbsp (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil over each portion, letting it pool in the torn burrata. Scatter a small handful of fresh basil leaves across the bowls and add a pinch of extra chili flakes if you like. Serve straight away.